subject: How To Buy Pearl Jewelry - Maximum Vale For Minimum Money [print this page] Pearls are, and have always been, in high demand as jewelry accessories. They look amazing as necklaces and bracelets and they have a timeless and universal quality that work with all kinds of clothes. If you are on the hunt for a pearl, go ahead and read these 4 simple tips to getting the maximum value for your money. Stop overpaying for poor quality!
Grading:
There are no fixed industry standards for pearls, such as with diamonds, but most shops and vendors use a simple classification system that only have two levels: A and AA+. The 'A' quality is the lowest, but certainly still a quality pearl. In order for a pearl to get the A classification, it should have no big cracks, blemishes or poor lustre. If it has that, it shouldn't even be sold. 'AA+' quality is an exceptional specimen with round shape, no or very minute blemishes as well as great lustre. Every company uses different classification though, so look around and compare the dollar value.
Shape:
Pearls are actually rarely completely round, since they are grown organically, either in the wild (natural) or on farms (cultured). That also means, that the round specimen will be much more expensive than those with other shapes. Keep this in mind if you have a budget. You can usually get much better value for money by buying an item that is not round shaped.
Lustre:
The luster or lustre is the 'shine' in the pearl, the 'inner glow'. This is easy to spot. A pearl with high lustre will seem to glow and be alive, while lower quality items can be dull and almost chalk like. The higher the lustre, the higher the prize. Luster is quite important for the look of the finished piece, so try to get as high luster as your budget can afford.
Surface:
Last, we look at the surface of the pearl. You look for cracks, imperfections and blemishes. If the pearl has noticeable cracks, it should be cheap. A high quality piece will only have small faults and should only be observable under light and from a close distance.
When buying any kind of jewelry, it is always a good idea to have fixed the budget before buying. The sky is the limit with jewelry and you will find it much easier to set a limit and then look to get the maximum value for that.
