Unfortunately it is not hard for the average shopper to make mistakes in acquiring pearl jewelry. When mistakes are made, they generally fall into one of three categories:
1. Mistaking artificial pearls for real pearls.
2. Failing to identify quality deficiencies that should be reflected in the price.
3. Weighting the wrong criteria in selecting the piece to buy.
Some pearl jewelry is actually made using dyed shell beads made to look like Tahitian pearls. These so-called shell-pearls may look like pearls but they are not and the prices for these items should reflect the fact. Prices higher than $20-$30 for these items should make you pause. Another slightly more expensive pearl look-alike is called a Majorca pearl. These imitation pearls are generally made using glass beads that are coated with a substance made from fish scales and lacquer intended to capitalize on the iridescent quality of fish scales.
There is nothing wrong with buying imitation pearl jewelry, per se, as long as you know what you are buying and it is priced appropriately. I recently went into an airport pearl jewelry shop, and saw a lot of nice jewelry that at first look; appeared to be made with Tahitian pearls. Upon closer inspection of both the pearls and the prices I saw that something was wrong. When I inquired I was told that the entire inventory was made with Majorca pearls. To someone who didnt know better, they might think; Oh; Majorca Pearls must be some kind of pearl, but in fact a Majorca pearl isnt a pearl at all, it is a glass bead painted to look like a pearl. The point is that it is easy to see how a typical shopper might have been fooled into thinking that they got a great deal on a pearl when in fact they paid too much for glass or shell beads.
If a pearl has no blemishes what-so-ever, that too should be a red-flag which leads you to evaluate the pearl more closely. One trick for identifying a genuine pearl from a fake is to run the edge of your front tooth (gently) over the surface of the pearl. A real pearl will feel subtly gritty or rough whereas an imitation pearl will feel perfectly smooth.
As for quality, the goal is to get the right quality at the right price. Notice, I didnt say the best quality. The reason is; the best isnt always the most appropriate for every budget. Just as; not all people spend their limited cash on a top-of-the-line Mercedes; not everyone needs the absolute best quality pearl jewelry. Its really a matter of what you can afford and what will do the job. For example, few people are likely to know if the metal in your jewelry is sterling silver or 18kt white gold, but theres a huge difference in price. Likewise not everyone will be able to tell if you are wearing a white Freshwater pearl earrings vs. much more expensive Southsea or Akoya pearl earrings.
Ask the jeweler about any metal used in the piece. Is it silver or gold? If gold, what weight? Find out what type of pearl is used. Freshwater pearls should cost less than Akoya pearls which, in turn, should cost less than white Southsea pearls. Take careful look at the pearls quality. Look for blemishes which if present should help reduce the price of the piece without significantly detracting from the overall appeal of the piece. Perhaps more important than minor blemishes is; luster the shininess of the pearl. Pearls with the highest luster will be like mirrors. You will be able to see your face in the pearl. The sharper the reflection the better the luster. Less luster should cost less. If present at all, iridescence (also called orient) is a characteristic of pearls that gives them a mesmerizingly beautiful quality. Iridescence is sometimes compared to the colors that one might see on the surface of oil if it is caught in the light just right. Not all pearls have it, but when its there, its magical.
Shape and size are also important considerations but really quite subjective. Its really a question of proportion. The right setting can make all the difference in accommodating an irregular shape. Regarding size; what looks good on one person may not look good on another its really a matter of taste. However, the larger the pearl; the more the cost. As pearls approach the upper limits of their potential size range their prices rise rapidly.
When it comes to picking your pearl jewelry based on the right criteria, your budget plays a major role. For example, assuming you have a budget, and most people do, you may wish to trade-off things that dont detract from the looks of the piece such as choosing sterling silver in stead of white gold in order to be able to afford nicer or larger pearls.
If you are buying a white pearl strand necklace, you may wish to consider high-quality Freshwater pearls in stead of more expensive Akoya pearls that may have very thin nacre. However if you are purchasing a piece with a solitary show pearl such as ring or a pendant, you may want to splurge for a nice Tahitian or Southsea pearl. Great color, luster or orient may be a fair trade-off against minor blemishes, shape (not perfectly round) or size. If you like the looks of Tahitian pearls but are on a tight budget; you may wish to go with a colorized Freshwater pearl. If done correctly, it can be hard for even an expert to tell the difference.
Ultimately the most important thing is that you like the piece and consider it worth the money to you. If you buy from a company has an expertise in pearls that you think can trust, like www.MermaidPearls.com, then you need not necessarily be an expert yourself, you can just shop for what appeals to you and be confident in knowing that the price is commensurate with the quality and that your interests are being taken care.
87-PEARLS-4-U
www.MermaidPearls.com
Dave Battles is the founder and owner of www.MermaidPearls.com and is a graduate of the Gemological Institute of Americas Pearl Certificate program.
The Best Easter Day Gift
By shecypearljewelry
I am my mothers only child, born when she was 22. Only after three years, my fathers death threw this family into the most difficult time. My mother had to go to back to work to support the family, and most importantly to give me good education. Mother always put my happiness in the first place. And I did make her proud in the following years until my unsuccessful marriage.
After my graduation, I successfully got a decent job in New York City which is far away from the city my mother living in - San Francisco. But I did like this job and believed this was the perfect start point of my career. Even though Mom missed me a lot, she just held her emotion and respected my choice. After 5 years hard work, I found my place in this big city and got my own family. This could have been the beautiful time of my life except that suddenly my husband insisted a seemed-no-reason divorce. I was shocked. Nothing worked to restore this relationship, so I just let him go.
I became desperate and began to get doubted about myself. I realized that I wasnt as strong as I always believed. I wasnt capable of everything. The situation became even worse when I was told that I had been pregnant for 4 months only after 2 weeks of my divorce. I was such a workaholic that I had not been aware of my pregnancy for 4 months! My life became a tragedy.
With a broken heart, I flight back to San Fransico and had a very sad Christmas with mom. I told her I was going to give up the baby. Was it an ironic gift from my ex-husband? But mom thought I should keep it, so we had a very unhappy conversation on this matter. I got back to NY and still was still hesitating to keep the baby or not. After three days, I got a package which came from a company named ShecyPearls. When I opened it, a beautiful south sea pearl necklace was presented in front of me. Surrounded by its luster, I found there was also a card with printed words:
New hopes bring new life! ??From the person who love you the most - Mom
This was really a support to me. I knew mothers legs get painful every winter, so she wouldnt shop around. I kept asking her, and then she told me that this ShecyPearls south sea pearl necklace was bought online.
Honey, you know you are my pearl. Are you really going to give up your pearl? moms word really touched the softest part of my heart. On Easter day of 2007, I had my pearl, my best Easter gift a baby girl. Easter day of 2009 is coming; I am going to order a ShecyPearls bracelet for my best gift that mom gave.
Shecy Pearls(http://www.shecypearljewelry.com/) is a leading pearl jewelry supplier in China since 1994. We have the biggest pearl jewelry store in Guilin and a huge store on the high street in Shanghai city center. Since 2006 we've provided online shopping and customer service on www.shecypearljewelry.com.
ShecyPearls Freshwater Pearl Necklace and Health Care
By shecypearljewelry
Do you know pearls have been use in health care in China for more than 1000 years? According to the record of Chinese traditional medicine books, pearls can relax eyes, cure ulcer and prevent skin wrinkle.
Why do pearls have such amazing effectiveness of health care? Lets find the answer in the view of modern science.? Unlike other gemstone, pearls are kind of creature-born gem. They grow in freshwater mollusk or saltwater oyster, which means pearls are totally innocuous. Its impossible that pearls contain radiation mineral as other geological gemstone possibly does.
The effective substances of pearls include 30 active amino acids, 18 trace elements, which can make positive actives on health care. These substances can activate SOD a very important antioxidant in human body. Activated SOD protects epidermis cell against oxidation. Many skin problems such as getting dark dull or wrinkle will be put at ease or slowed down. Pearl powder can also stimulate cell growth, which is why pearl powder can cure ulcer.
Even though weve already collect many clinical evidences that pearl does no harm to health. People will still be worry about adverse effectiveness of pearl powder before it was launched on market as a medicine indicated clear medical effective components. In this circumstance, you may try to buy pearl jewelry which can touch your skin like pearl necklace, pearl bracelet.
ShecyPearls freshwater pearl necklace and bracelet are made from freshwater pearls originated the worlds biggest freshwater pearl cultured.? These freshwater pearls not only have beautiful luster and surface. The most amazing thing is that they are nonnucleated and are all composed by pearl nacre the active substance of pearl. Thick pearl nacre guarantees that the beauty of your pearl jewelry can last as long as you wear it, furthermore, it will care your skin by intimate touch.
Shecy Pearls(http://www.shecypearljewelry.com/) is a leading pearl jewelry supplier in China since 1994. We have the biggest pearl jewelry store in Guilin and a huge store on the high street in Shanghai city center. Since 2006 we've provided online shopping and customer service on www.shecypearljewelry.com.
