Pearl
necklaces emit a unique mystical charm and most women love
to wear pearl necklaces. When you have decided to buy a
pearl necklace, you must be exactly clear about the types
of pearls available, the colors available, the sizes
available and the quality that a pearl should possess.
Choosing a right pearl necklace depends on many factors
including age and occasion. It is difficult to
differentiate between natural pearls & high quality
cultured pearl with the naked eye. Pearls are said to be
composed of 82-86% mineral ( calcium carbonate ), 10-14%
organic binder and about 2-4% water. Here are a few things
that you should consider before buying a pearl necklace.
Pearls possess varying colors and qualities. Majority of
freshwater pearl necklace are white in color and has rose
undertones, Akoya pearl necklace is white in color with
rose undertones, the South Sea pearl necklace are white
with silver or rose undertones whereas a South Sea
Tahitian pearl necklace has shades from black to gray with
pink or green undertones. Well color selection varies
according to individuals taste and preferences. Generally
people with dark complexion prefer dark or gold pearls and
people with fair color prefer white or light color pearls.
Next consideration is the size of the pearl necklace.
There are 6 types of pearl necklaces: collar, choker,
princess, matinee, opera and rope. Collar pearl necklace
are 10 to 13 inches in length & good for casual or evening
wear. Choker pearl necklaces are 16 to 18 inches and
suitable with formal wear. Princess pearl necklace is
about 17 to 20 inches and grace well for night outs.
Matinee pearl necklace are 20 to 24 inches and a
complements well with business suit. Opera pearl necklace
are 28 to 34 inches and great for special occasions,
formal events or parties. Rope pearl necklace are 45
inches and above and match well with pantsuits. Young
women prefer to wear their necklaces closer to the neck to
show their smooth skin. The smallest pearls are the
freshwater pearls with sizes ranging from 5 to 6.5 mm.
Tahitian and South Sea pearls are comparatively bigger
being 11 to 13 mm in size. Akoya pearls are medium in size
ranging from 6 to 8 mm. So you can choose the best-sized
pearl according to your physique and taste. Pearl shape is
also important when shopping for pearl necklaces. The most
sought after shape is perfectly round, go for pearls that
are perfectly round, which are rare, or nearly round.
Next comes another important characteristic of pearl
necklaces – Luster. Anyone buying a pearl necklace should
be able to recognize the degree of acceptable or not
acceptable luster. Luster is produced by the reflection of
light from the pearl, basically the nacre layers that
constitute the pearl. Very high luster is the result of
very good quality nacre. Such pearls are priced very high.
Good quality Japanese Akoya cultured pearls have the
highest luster as compared to white round cultured pearls
because of the water temperature in which they are
cultivated. Above all there is a widely accepted grading
system for grading pearls – GIA. This grading system
grades pearls from Fair to Excellent. Many jewelers have
their own grading systems but go for reputable names only.
Choose the highest grade pearls so that you get the best
quality.
Pearl buying requires much attention and knowledge
otherwise jewelers can manipulate your buying decision. If
you have knowledge of the color, size, surface, luster,
shape and all other aspects, you can end up in a perfect
buy. It purely depends on your interest and requirements.
So now you have all the information required to buy a
perfect pearl necklace. Wish you a happy buy.
