Mysterious like the ocean and luminous like the moon, pearls are both elegant and sensual. Pearls are always in style and whether you choose a simple strand of classic white pearls or an edgy design featuring a baroque pearl, there’s something for everyone. If you’re thinking about buying a strand of pearls, or other pearl jewelry, there are a few factors to consider. We’ve put together a guide with the seven criteria used to evaluate these ocean treasures to help you select the perfect pearls for you.
Pearl Shape
Pearls come in various shapes from perfectly round orbs to pear-shaped drops and baroque pearls, which are irregular shapes that have led designers to create imaginative designs around them. Round pearls are the most expensive and most valuable, while baroque pearls will generally be the least costly.
Pearl Surface
The surface of a pearl may be totally smooth, or it may have marks and/or blemishes. The smoother the surface of the pearl and the fewer blemishes there are on the pearl the better the quality. If a pearl has too many blemishes or marks, or if they are particularly creased or ridged, it may affect its durability and beauty lowering the value of the gem.
Pearl Luster
Luster refers to the reflection of light on the surface of the pearl, the stronger the luster, the better. It is so important to pearl quality that there are five levels of luster:
- Excellent, which is when reflections are crisp and bright
- Very Good, the reflection is bright, but a little less crisp
- Good, the reflection is bright, but not crisp and may even be a bit fuzzy
- Fair, low reflection and blurry
- Poor, reflections are faint and indistinct
Pearl Color
Pearls come in a number of colors besides the traditional white. They can be golden, or black, pink or gray.
- Body Color. All pearls will have a body color that is the main shade of the gem.
- Overtone Color. Some pearls also have an overtone color, which refers to the translucent colors that are on top of the body color. There may be more than one overtone color.
- Orient. The last attribute that impacts pearl color is orient, which is the iridescent color that we see in some pearls.
Not all pearls will have an overtone color or orient. Some may have one and not the other, but to have all three — color, overtone and orient — in one pearl is the ultimate.
Pearl Size
Pearls grow in all sizes, depending upon the type of mollusk that formed the pearl and how long it stays in the host mollusk. Of course, bigger pearl sizes are more precious, rare and expensive.
Nacre Makes the Pearl
Nacre is what makes a pearl a pearl. It is what the mollusk produces to protect itself from the irritating organic matter that has found its way inside its shell. The best pearls have a thick nacre. If a pearl has a chalky, flat look it may be from thin nacre. A pearl with thin nacre will have little to no luster and will be less durable than a pearl with a thicker nacre.
Matching Pearls
Finding pearls that are matched in size, color, luster, nacre, surface and shape is key to the quality and design of a piece of pearl jewelry. You may find pearl jewelry that incorporates different pearl colors, which can be quite lovely as long as the other quality factors match.
Pearls are formed by mollusks in an ocean, lake or river and the type of mollusk and where they are grown makes a difference in the quality and type of pearl. A pearl that forms on its own, when organic matter gets into the mollusk with no human interference is a natural pearl and these pearls are quite rare. Natural pearls are almost always in vintage and antique jewelry, because cultured pearls, which are formed when a human puts organic matter into a mollusk prompting it to create a pearl, were not widely available until the 1920s. The only way to tell if a pearl is natural or cultured is by examining it with special gemological equipment and getting a report verifying that the gems are what they are represented to be.
Pearls are a must have for any jewelry collection. They’re easy to wear to work, or casually, and these ocean treasures are always in style and just right for any occasion.
Top of Page: Pearl, diamond, tanzanite, emerald and 18-karat gold fly pin, signed Tiffany & Co., circa 1980s; Diamond, cultured South Sea pearl and platinum earrings, signed Cartier and numbered with original sales receipt from 1987; Antique diamond, cultured pearl and 18-karat gold ring, Buccellati, with original box, circa 1970s; Diamond, cultured pearl, 18-karat gold and platinum brooch, by Juliette Moutard for Boivin, circa 1934; Edwardian natural pearl, diamond and platinum ring; Diamond, cultured pearl and platinum torsade bracelet, signed Boivin, circa 1950s.
Authored by Amber Michelle