Pearls by Angela Carol

Pearl jewelry has been one of the most treasured types of jewelry for centuries.  Pearl jewelry has lasted over these many long years as a status type of jewelry and many people have desired these beautiful types of jewels made from pearls.  Many times you will find that some pearl jewelry has been passed down to generation from generation and has become some kind of family heirloom.  With proper care pearls themselves can last for over 150 years.

Pearl jewelry may be difficult to choose if you are not at all educated in what to look for when buying pearls.  Now the most common form of pearl jewelry would be the pearl necklace.  Here there are a few different things to know about.  First of all the length of the necklace will have a different name for the strand.  There are various pearl necklace lengths that range from 12” to around 36”.  A strand of pearls that is 12 inches to 13 inches is called a pearl collar, a strand that is 14 inches to 16 inches is called a pearl choker, a strand of pearls that is 17 inches to 19 inches in length is called a princess necklace.  The princess necklace is typically the length that most women want and is the most popular choice to get for pearl jewelry.  After the princess length there is the matinee necklace that is 20 inches to 25 inches, then the opera necklace that is 26 inches to 36 inches, and finally the pearl rope that is anything 37 inches and longer.

Now pearl necklaces and strands are always made from the same type of pearl.  The pearls need to match to a certain degree so when they are cultivated and sold they are categorized with each other depending upon their size and their shape and also their color and luster.  The pearl necklaces range from smaller to larger towards the middle of the necklace so the pearls must vary in size on the jewelry.  They will use the same color for the same strand unless you would like something made differently.  But typically the same color or a very close color will be used.  Keeping the pearls in the pearl jewelry very similar will increase the value of the pearl jewelry and make your investment in the pearl jewelry a better investment.

If you are looking for other types of pearl jewelry and not just a pearl necklace you will find a large assortment of different types of pearl jewelry.  There are pearl earrings and bracelets and pearl rings and broaches.  In these types of jewelry the pearls that are used are usually not a round pearl as they are typically used in the pearl necklaces.  The pearl earrings are usually made from pearls with a drop or a semi round shape.  The jeweler will tend to use non round pearls in jewelry settings that can hide the fact that the pearl is not round in shape.  Once the non round pearl is in the jewelry setting you really can not even tell that the pearl is not round and that is why it is chosen to be put in a setting that hides its shape. 

Choosing pearl jewelry must be done with a keen eye.  You should always use a jeweler that you trust and have perhaps used before.  This way you are making sure that you are going to get a quality type jewel from the jeweler.  If you are not sure about the shop then do not buy your jewelry there.  There are ways that you can tell yourself if you are getting a quality piece of pearl jewelry.  Always look at the color and the luster of the pearl.  It would not hurt if you did a little research on the subject also before you went to go and look for the pearl jewelry.