What is the best type of pearl jewellery?
For thousands of years pearls have been worn by the rich and glamorous, and given as rare and expensive gifts. Traditionally worn by brides, for thousands of years they have 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 varieties that it’s not easy to know which to choose, so here are a few pointers of what to look out for:
Type of pearl – The two types of pearl are saltwater and freshwater. Saltwater pearls are farmed in the sea, and are usually bigger, rounder and clearer than the freshwater variety. For this reason they usually also cost more. 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 really does matter. The bigger the pearl, the more it will cost. Saltwater pearls are usually bigger than freshwater, and are more highly sought after.
Nacre – Pearls take years to develop inside the shell of an oyster. When a foreign object is introduced into the shell, the oyster produces layers of nacre, which gradually build up forming the pearl. The thicker the nacre coating, the longer a pearl will last. Some saltwater pearls from farms are ‘beaded’ with a larger nucleus which speeds up the process and ensure a round shape. 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 as smooth and shiny as a mirror but they should have a certain reflective quality to them, called the lustre. Pearls with this shimmery surface are the most popular type.
Colour – The natural colours of pearls are various shades of white, pink and lilac although cultured pearls are often dyed so they are available in the colour of your choice. 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 the ideal pearls, we usually imagine that they are all perfectly round and shiny. In reality this is rare, and perfectly round pearls are hugely sought after and so can be very expensive. Small cultured pearls are more likely to be round and some larger ones are formed around a bead to help the shape develop. Irregularly shaped pearls are still used to make unique jewellery and pendants.
Matching – It can be hard to find enough pearls of the same size, shape and colour to make a whole necklace, so a string of regular naturally coloured pearls is more desirable and will be more expensive.
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Tags: freshwater pearls, Jewellery, pearl jewellery, pearl jewelry, pearl necklace, pearls