Pearls are one of the most niche gemstones in the world however they are also the least understood among all. Apart from customers of jewelry even a lot of professional jewelers often have trouble in completely understanding this beautiful piece of art.
We understand the method behind choosing the perfect pearl to wear and want to pass on that knowledge to you as well. We have broken down the entire process associated with the buying of pearl jewelry specially for you. The next time you are looking at making an invest in buying pearl jewelry, we hope this guide comes in handy.
- Choosing the right pearl for yourself – just like when you buy diamond jewelrythere are so many options to choose from, similarly, when it comes to choosing pearls, there are four options you to select from. These are akoya pearls, freshwater pearls, Tahitian pearls and white or golden south sea pearls.
- Choosing the size of the pearl you want – the most popular size range which is also the most versatile and traditional pearl sizes to choose from are within the range of 7.0-9.5mm. The value of the pearl increases with an increase in size considering all other factors like luster, shape and surface quality remain the same.
- Choosing the pearl jewelry, you want – pearls are extremely versatile in nature and can be worn in different ways. The two most popular ways of wearing pearl is either through pearl and diamond stud earringsor through a classic pearl necklace. Depending on what it is that you are looking and also how much your budget is, you can choose either of the two timeless options.
- Understanding the pearl value factors – there are primarily seven factors that go into pearl grading. These seven factors are luster, surface quality, symmetry of shape, color, size, origin and matching. These are probably the most important factors to consider while buying pearl jewelry and hence we are going to discuss this a little more in details.
- Luster – this is probably the make or break criteria when it comes to pearls. Luster is essentially the way light reflects off the pearl surface. The sharper this is, the more valuable the pearl is.
- Surface quality – pearls which have a clean and smooth surface are known to be higher in value as compared to pearls which have multiple inclusions in them.
- Symmetry of shape – pearls that are truly round are extremely rare and the most valued out of all.
- Color – they are literally available in every color of the rainbow. The value is dependent on whether the color is naturally occurring or not.
- Size – pearls that are large and perfectly symmetrical are very rare and take a large number of years to form inside an oyster.
- Origin – the way the pearls are cultured has an impact on their value
- Matching – putting together of pearls that look the same.
We hope the above process was easy to understand and has helped you gain a better perspective and understanding about the process of buying pearl jewelry. It is always best to keep one trusted guide in handy rather than getting overwhelmed with all the information available to us in the world of the internet. However, we advise that you do your complete research about the kind of jewelry you are looking to invest in, the gemstone you want to add to your collection and the seller you want to buy it from. These three things are very crucial to keep in mind while buying any kind of jewelry.