Pearls by Angela Carol

The Greatest Investment That You Can Add To Your Collection

Pearl jewelry can be one of the greatest investments that a jewelry collector can make. Before purchasing some pearl jewelry you should make sure you educate yourself about pearls first. There are many respected jewelers out there and you want to make sure you work with someone like that.

The first thing you need to understand is that some pearl jewelry may not be as expensive as other pearl jewelry even though they may look identical. You have to know that there are a few different types of standards for pearls that will make them either more or less expensive. You will be paying for the grade of pearl that you are buying.

Now pearls can be split into two categories. There are natural pearls and cultured pearls. Natural pearls occur in oysters naturally with no assistance. This is a rare occurrence of itself. There are around 8,000 types of oysters in the world and only about 20 of these oysters are able to produce pearls. Also when the pearl has occurred naturally it is only a slight chance that the pearl itself will actually become round in shape. The round shape is what makes the pearl more valuable. A pearl that is cultured is a pearl that has been basically "farmed". Throughout the world in places where pearls occur naturally there are pearl farms. This is where man intervenes and places material into the oyster shell with hopes that a pearl will form. These are a much more controlled environment than the natural ocean and the chances of getting pearls that are more round increase.

There are also several different types of pearls. There are freshwater pearls, South Sea pearls, Akoya pearls, and Tahitian pearls. The pearls are named according to what type of oyster they were grown in. Freshwater pearls are usually the least expensive and the easiest to find. These pearls do not come in a round shape and tend to form a baroque shape. The South Sea, Akoya, and Tahitian pearls are the most popular for pearl jewelry like a necklace. The Akoya pearl is usually what one thinks of when they think of a pearl necklace. They are larger pearls and many round pearls can be found in this category. The South Sea pearl is larger than the Akoya and has more of a silvery overtone to it. The Tahitian pearl is what is thought of when the term black pearl is used.

When purchasing jewelry you must consider the shape of the pearl itself. There are eight basic shapes to a pearl. Round, semi-round, button, drop, oval, baroque, and circled. Round being the most valued and working its way down to circled. A pearl necklace that is made of button shaped pearls will still be beautiful but much less valuable than one that is made of round or even semi-round pearls. You must also look at the luster, color, and symmetry of the surface when purchasing pearl jewelry.

When making pearl jewelry it is important to consider the shape of the pearl. A pearl that is drop shaped are usually used in earrings or pendants and their shape can be hidden by the setting. Semi-round pearls can also be used in pieces that the shape is hidden to make the pearl look bigger and rounder.

Pearl jewelry may not always be what it looks like. If someone is trying to sell you a "natural" pearl ask to get it x-rayed as that is the only way to tell if the pearl is truly a natural pearl. And if you are considering spending a significant amount of money on your pearl jewelry, please always use a jeweler that is respected in the industry and do some research on them.