Warm and glowing to the eye, smooth and silky to the touch, a strand of pearls is what every woman wants in her collection of jewelry. Like any wardrobe, it's best to start with the basics and then you can build from this to limited edition treasures. You can buy several different types of pearls for different occasions. However, the most important piece of pearl jewelry to start with is the
classic necklace of matched akoya pearls.
The pearl strand or necklace can either be:
1. Uniform in size - the pearls are nearly equal in size throughout the necklace or,
2. Graduated in size - the pearls gradually increase in size and are strung with the smallest pearls near the clasp and largest at the centre.
There are different lengths for a pearl necklace. The most popular lengths to start with are:
1. a Choker - (15-l6") in length
2. a Princess - (18") in length
3. a Matinee - (20-24") in length
The best thing to do is buy what you can afford. The great thing about pearl necklaces is that they can be lengthened. Determine the size, colour and quality you want then add length later.
Other lengths are:
4. Opera (28-30") and sometimes 36" in length
5. Rope (36" or more) in length - also called sautoir or lariat
Other necklace styles:
6. Bib - a necklace of more than 3 strands
7. Torsade - a number of pearl strands twisted together usually choker length but can be any length
The most popular strand of pearls is composed of
Japanese akoya cultured pearls. The necklace strand is 16" in length and when the pearls are knotted and a clasp is added the finished length will be 18". (Natural pearls are not often sought, since they are very costly and hard to find.) The pearls are usually 5mm to 8mm in diameter. As a general rule, adult women look best in 7-10 mm pearls. depending on the quality of the pearls, the usual retail price ranges from $1000. to $5000.
Before you buy a strand of pearls
1. You need to know how to
determine quality and value. To do this, refer to the
"Guide for Buying Pearls". The criteria you must consider are:
lustre, shape, surface, colour and size. Pearls are sold in every conceivable combination of these criteria. Some people insist on a perfect strand. This would mean all of the criteria: lustre, shape, surface, colour and size would be uniform and equal. This best combination of lustre, shape, surface, colour and size will cost the most. If a strand is not the best in all criteria, than the cost should be less. Look at as many strands as you can, from poor to excellent. Any good jeweller will be happy to show different strands to you and explain the differences in quality and price. By doing this, you will be able to judge quality better.
3.
Check Nacre Thickness Buy a strand that has .4 mm. of nacre and nothing less than .3mm. If the nacre is .3mm or less, it is too thinly coated and the pearl strand will not last. Look at the drill hole to determine if the nacre is thick enough. Because determining nacre thickness can be difficult, lustre will give you some indication of nacre thickness.
3.
Check Matching of Pearls in the Pearl Strand When pearls match in colour, shape, surface and lustre, they will be more expensive. It is very costly to produce a perfectly matched pearl necklace. This is because no two pearls are exactly alike and perfectly round pearls are extremely rare, so it is time-consuming and difficult to match pearls. It takes an expert eye to do the matching. The Cultured Pearl Information Centre estimates that approximately 10,000 pearls need to be sorted to find enough to produce one necklace of matched pearls. For this the client must pay a premium. An inexpensive strand of pearls or average priced strand will not have perfect matching. However, just because a strand is not perfect, in all aspects, does not necessarily mean that it is not beautiful. Think of what you wear and your lifestyle when you are choosing pearls. Choose what looks good on you.
