Tips to get the perfect pearls
Throughout history pearls have been worn by the rich and glamorous, and given as rare and expensive gifts. Traditionally worn by brides on their wedding day, they have long been a symbol of love, purity and perfection. Nowadays pearl jewellery is available to more people than ever before, and you no longer need to be royalty to afford it. Pearls of all shapes, sizes and colours are ‘cultured’ on farms around the world and with so many varieties to choose from any bride-to-be has no trouble finding the perfect pearls to match her wedding gown. In fact, there are so many different types of pearl that it’s not easy to know which to choose, so here are a few pointers of what to look out for:
Pearl type – There are two types of pearl, saltwater and freshwater. Saltwater pearls are farmed in the sea, and are usually larger and more regular in shape than the freshwater variety. They are also usually more expensive because of this. Freshwater pearls are farmed in lakes and rivers, usually smaller and often less regular in shape, though they come in a large range of different colours.
Size – When buying pearls, size makes a huge difference. The bigger the pearl, the more desirable it is and the more it will cost. Saltwater pearls are generally the bigger variety, and are more highly sought after.
Nacre – Pearls take a very long time to form inside the shell of an oyster. When a foreign object gets into the shell the oyster produces layers of nacre, which gradually build up forming the pearl. The thicker the nacre coating over the nucleus, the longer a pearl will last. Some cultured saltwater pearls are ‘beaded’ with a larger nucleus which speeds up the process and keep the pearls as round as possible. Most farmed freshwater pearls and all natural pearls are composed entirely of nacre, so their shape is less likely to be perfectly round.
Luster – No pearl is perfectly shiny like glass but they should have a sort of reflective quality to them, called the lustre. Pearls with this shimmery surface are the most popular type.
Colour – Pearls in their natural state come in various shades of white, pink and lilac although nowadays you can now get cultured pearls dyed in almost any colour. A pearl necklace made of matching naturally-coloured pearls will cost more than dyed ones, as it can take a long time to collect enough matching pearls for a whole string.
Shape – When we think of pearls, we usually picture that they are all perfectly round and shiny. In reality this is rare, and perfectly round pearls are very expensive as they are hugely sought after. Small cultured pearls are more likely to be round and some of the larger ones have been formed around a bead to create an artificial round shape. Irregular pearls are also used to make unique jewellery and pendants.
Matching – It can be difficult to find enough pearls of the same size, shape and colour to make a whole necklace, so a string of regular pearls is more desirable and will be more expensive.
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