Each pearl necklace planet is unique and one of a kind. To this day, "how do I choose the ideal pearls?" remains the most pressing inquiry we get. Those who are unfamiliar with pearls may feel overwhelmed by the variety of choices available to them. Innumerable varieties exist, each with its own set of dimensions, hues, and quality levels. If you could spare a few minutes of your time, I'd appreciate it. It will be well worth it, I assure you.
Pearl Quality Grading: A Fallacy
Where to start? How about we talk about pearl quality. If you've done your homework on pearls, you know that there are several classifications for them. Some businesses use purely arbitrary classifications, while others specify a wide variety of different grading systems. Doesn't seem reasonable, does it? Actually, there is a rationale behind this.
Grading pearls consistently is a fabrication. For pearls, there is no universally accepted method of classification or grading. There is no universally accepted system for grading pearls, thus different vendors use different criteria. Simply said, it can't be done.
You've undoubtedly heard of the "4 C's," or cut, color, clarity, and carat weight, when referring to diamond quality. There is a stated set of criteria, and weights have been allocated.Size, form, color, sheen, polish, nacre quality, and matching are the seven determinants of worth when evaluating pearls.
There's only one catch! There are no objective criteria by which to evaluate a pearl's worth.
Is there any significance to this for shoppers looking at different prices for pearls? Pearls awarded AAA by one vendor might just as readily be classed A by another - using the same A-AAA scale.
Service quality and prior customer reviews are useful benchmarks to utilize when making a final decision. To get answers to your questions, you should be able to talk to an expert in person, online, or over the phone. Before making a final choice, you should be able to request more photographs. Also Read vivienne westwood necklace silver guide.
Types of Pearls Commonly Found On Necklaces
Let's begin with the most common misunderstanding about pearl necklaces: the idea that you should only buy "real" pearls instead of "cultured" ones. However, I can assure you that a string of genuine pearls is not something you need. It has been a full century since the natural pearl trade was supplanted by the cultivation of cultured pearls via the induction of pearl oysters. While natural pearls are still available, a high-quality strand may easily set you back a million dollars. Any vendor that advertises "affordable natural pearls" when they do not have any to offer is being dishonest.
Cultured pearls come in a number of different types, but the most popular are Akoya, freshwater, Tahitian, and South Sea pearls. Each one is unique and may be stunning in its own way.
Strands of Akoya Pearls
Akoya pearls are cultivated in saltwater and prized for their exceptional brilliance, as well as their color and form. Light reflected off the pearl's surface is measured in terms of its intensity and how well it is transmitted. The quality of the necklace's clasp is the most crucial consideration when buying an Akoya pearl necklace. This is the secret behind the pearls' lustrous luster. It's also an undeniable sign of whether or not the pearls were properly nurtured by their mother oyster. Can you recall what was said regarding a vendor's standing in the community? The best vendors have been working with reliable growers and manufacturers for years.
Ideally, 1.5–2 years must pass between when an Akoya pearl oyster is seeded with a flawless round bead and when the oyster is harvested. However, a lot of growers start harvesting after only a few months. The pearls may have a similar appearance at first glance, but their short lifespan is a result of their thin nacre. Still, you may often see these sorts of pearls labeled as AAA on store shelves.
The term "hanadama" is reserved for the very best Akoya pearls in the industry. Wait! Is it safe to go shopping for hanadama grade pearls online? Regrettably, that's not the case. There is still a large variation of quality, and this is true even when assessed by a laboratory. Although the certifications for different hanadama strands may be practically similar, the price difference between high- and low-quality strands might be as much as three times as much. Once again, this boils down to a matter of prestige.
This aside concerning Akoya pearls is important to bring up. While most Akoya are white and perfectly spherical, others come in unusual natural colors including blue, silvery blue, gold, and even irregular baroque forms. These are quite uncommon and unlikely to be found at a jewelry shop.
The most sought-after length for an Akoya pearl necklace is 7 to 7.5 millimeters, with 8 to 8.5 millimeters coming in a close second. I wouldn't recommend getting anything too little unless you're buying a strand for a young girl.
Necklaces made with freshwater pearls
Even though they are more technically a "pearl" than Akoya, freshwater pearls have never been valued at exactly the same level. How so? Typically, a bead is not used in the cultivation of freshwater pearls. Completely made of nacre (pearl). If that's the case, then why do we discount their worth? Since several pearls may form within a single freshwater shell, this is the case. Typically, only one or two oysters will develop in an Akoya shell at a time.
A person who has only seen freshwater pearls in a shop may have the misconception that all of them are irregular in form and lack luster. This is usually the situation. Not having a central bead makes them less round than Akoya. However, there are such things as high-quality freshwater pearls; the freshadama variety is among the best, and it is difficult to tell the difference between it and an authentic Akoya pearl.
Buying a string of pearls for the first time? Freshwater pearls are a great option. It's not only that they're a more affordable alternative to real Akoya pearls; they also come in beautiful pastel shades of their own accord. Only freshwater pearls will have such hues (in nature).
When it comes to the price, a difference of only half a millimeter in size may make a huge difference when sorting fine freshwater pearls. Our most popular size range is 7.5-8 mm strands, and they are bigger, shinier, and more spherical than the 7.0-8.0 mm range.
Pearl chokers from Tahiti
When was the last time you visited French Polynesia, namely the island of Tahiti? If so, you'll likely agree that it's one of the most unusual places to have a holiday. The pearls harvested from those waters are just as unique and rare. Although Tahitian pearls have a reputation for being black because of their absence of nacre, they really display a wide range of hues. It's dark green that wins the popularity contest.
Saltwater pearls are known as Tahitians, and they are produced in the black lip oyster. The inside rim of the big shell has a dark, sparkling hue. It generates pearls between 7 and 15 millimeters in diameter, and those pearls often have the same deep exotic tones as the rim.
The Tahitian pearl is my favorite kind of pearl. I've been to some of French Polynesia's most isolated regions throughout the years. A video team and I visited a pearl farm and filmed a 20-minute documentary while we were there. That documentary took up the top prize at the International Family Film Festival.
If a Tahitian pearl necklace is in your future, I highly recommend you watch this video. As a result, you will have a deeper understanding of Tahitian pearls than 99 percent of GIA-trained gemologists.
Necklaces Set with South Sea Pearls
In order to find the perfect South Sea pearl necklace, you've probably read up on pearls and made previous purchases of pearl jewelry. If you are looking to buy your first pearl necklace, I would not choose South Sea pearls. Unless you're the kind to work your way down from the top.When it comes to cultured saltwater pearls, South Sea pearls are by far the most impressive and expensive. Their production occurs in outlying regions of nations like Australia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The biggest pearl oyster species cultivated today produces these exquisite stones. The pearls on this necklace are the size of little marbles, while the necklace itself is the size of an American dinner plate.
South Sea pearls may be found in either the silver-lip or the gold-lip pearl oyster. Well, you knew that was coming. The former produces white and silver South Sea pearls, whereas the latter produces the rare and very precious gold South Sea pearl. Necklaces strung with their South Sea pearls are among the most coveted and expensive in the world.
These are the gems of eloquence. The person wearing it is making a bold statement. When you gift anything, you're sending a message. To put it simply, if you wear a string of South Sea pearls, you will get compliments.
Stringing Pearls Together
It is recommended that knots be placed between each pearl on a pearl necklace. In addition to safeguarding your investment, the knots keep the pearls from scratching or rubbing against one another. Those pearls won't go flying off if your necklace breaks. Small, graded strands are the only ones that can be knotted. Knots in these are not attractive, hence they are usually only found close to the clasp.Although silk thread has traditionally been used, many are switching to synthetic fibers because of their increased durability. It doesn't matter which one you choose.
