When you buy pearls, you need the right information in order to judge value. If you have an understanding of the factors that determine the value of pearls, you can make a wise decision when you buy them.
To judge pearl quality and price, compare pearls of the same type, lustre (including nacre thickness), surface, colour, shape, and size.
1. Pearl Lustre
2. Pearl Surface
3. Pearl Shape
4. Pearl Size
5. Pearl Colour
Another thing that impacts value, although it is not a pearl quality factor, is matching, which describes the uniformity of pearls in jewelry. It takes time and inventory to sort and collect pearls for a single strand. This is true even if the pearls are intentionally mismatched. This, of course, does not apply to single pearls.
