PEARL NECKLACES

Shopping For Pearl Necklaces:

Pearl necklaces have been sought after for centuries with women young and old setting their hearts on a necklace to wear for those special events. Pearls used to be a real status symbol as they were very expensive because the pearls that were used were all from nature. Today pearl necklaces are more affordable but they are still very classy and something that every woman should have at some point in her life.

When shopping for pearl necklaces you will have a lot of different options to choose from. In fact, you could be overwhelmed by all of the options and give up before you even get started. Before you start looking around, you should know what to look for. When shopping for pearl necklaces you will want to look for those that offer you pearls with medium to high luster, roundness, and limited surface spots.

When you start shopping for pearl necklaces, you should only shop with trusted jewelry stores. You want to make sure that you are getting high quality cultured pearls and nothing less. Quality jewelry stores will offer you plenty of information on the pearls and will not hold back on giving you information or allowing you to see them under a microscope. Stick with jewelry stores that have a good reputation.

The next thing you will want to do when you are shopping for pearl necklaces is to find the style that you like. If you simply look at all of the necklaces that are out there you will become overwhelmed and you might not get exactly what you wanted. If there is a particular style that you like, only look at these so you do not go into sensory overload and miss out on that perfect necklace.

The next thing you will want to do when shopping is visit a few different jewelry stores or jewelers. When you do this you can look at the necklaces that you like and then you can compare quality and price. When you do this you have the best chance of getting the pearl necklaces that you want for the best price. Pearls are an investment, so you might as well save if you can.

Giving pearl necklaces can be a lot of fun because a lot of people will not just go out and buy something like this for themselves. If you have a woman in your life that would like a necklace of this variety one of the nicest things you can do for her is present her with a pearl necklace. The process of shopping is a lot easier if you know what she likes, but not required.

A great way to see what pearl necklaces the woman in your life likes is to see what she looks at when she is in a jewelry store or when she looks at jewelry fliers that come in the mail. Take note of what she likes and shop accordingly. If you are lucky enough to have her point out what she likes, act on it quickly to make sure you can get what she wants!

If you do not know what she likes, surprise her by taking her out shopping and make a point of having her look at pearl necklaces. When she finds that one that makes her eyes light up and a smile creep up on her face, tell her it is hers. You still get the surprise factor but you will know that she likes it so there is no guesswork involved. She will love it!

If this is not a possibility, you can still shop for pearl necklaces, just make sure when you buy it that it can be returned or exchanged. This will allow you to present her with something in a way that you would like, but will also allow her to exchange it if it was not exactly what she was looking for. Do not take it personally if it was not exactly right. Pearl necklaces are a very personal thing!

Wearing pearl necklaces is something that most women enjoy. If you have received a pearl necklace you should know that you could wear it with just about any attire these days. Pearls are very popular and they are being worn more and more in just about any setting, which was not always the case in the past. Experiment with different outfits with your necklace! Have fun with it, that is what you have it for!

Pearl necklaces should be worn with care. You should put on your necklace after you have gotten dressed and put on lotions, make up, and perfumes. If you put your pearls on first you can actually take away from their natural luster and color because of the chemicals that are in these products. Putting your pearls on last will help you protect them and have them continue to look great!

It is important to take your pearl necklaces off when you are taking part in any activities that might risk them. You will want to take them off before you shower or swim as chemicals in the water can damage your pearls in a hurry. You will also want to take off your necklaces if you are cleaning or using any chemicals as pearls are very sensitive and can be damaged by the smallest amount of chemicals.

After receiving your pearls you will want to store them in a container by themselves. When you place pearls in a box with other jewelry they are likely to become scratched and this will detract from the color as well as the luster of the pearl. Keeping your pearls separate will ensure that they continue to look great for years and years! It is a simple thing to do, but something many people often overlook.

Every three to four months you will want to soak your pearls in a mild detergent and water for 15 to 20 minutes. This will allow any dirt or sweat to be washed off of the pearls to restore their original beauty. You need not scrub them, just allow them to sit in the water and then rinse them off and allow them to air dry for about 24 hours on a soft cloth.

Giving, wearing, and caring for pearls does take some thought but it is all worth it. Pearls are some of the most beautiful naturally occurring objects in the entire world and it is an honor to give them as well as to wear them and the care is just a part of the process. Choose your pearl necklaces and care for them carefully and you will have them for a long time to come.

When it comes to pearl size the most popular sizes are between 6mm to 8.5mm. Small sizes are very common among younger girls and larger sizes are preferred choice of many women. Besides pearls shape and size, pearl necklaces come in various unique stylish lengths:

Pearl Collar – 12 to 13 inches length Pearl Choker ~ 14 to 16 inches Princess Necklace ~ 17 to 19 inches Matinee Necklace ~ 20 to 25 inches Opera Necklace ~ 26 to 36 inches Pearl Rope ~ 37 inches or longer

Pearl necklaces are very traditional and classic and always remain in fashion. At Pearl Princess, you will find many amazing colors and excellent top quality pearl necklaces. Enhance your beauty, show your style and wear like a princess.

PEARL NECKLACE - WEAR LIKE A PRINCESS !

CULTURED PEARLS

Cultured pearls are natural gems. Its natural beauty is unique and used in pearl jewelry. Pearls achieve their most distinctive beauty that comes from the reflection of light through the layers of crystalline nacre. In other words, the unique luster of pearls depends upon the reflection and refraction of light emanating from its translucent layers. The transparent nacre provides the deep shine and the high reflection. The iridescence or opalescence in pearl is caused by the over lapping of successive layers. The luster is the essence of beauty of all pearls types. A high quality lustrous pearl will emit a brilliant and equal reflection with fine radiance.

All pearls sold now in both domestic and international markets are cultured pearls and are known by various names such as cultured pearls, freshwater pearls, akoya pearls or akoya seawater pearls, Tahitian pearls, south seawater pearls. Natural pearls are rarity now. These pearls culturally grown in fresh waters as well as seawaters and their growth and harvesting period vary from region to region and the methods used by the pearl farms. Cultured pearls are real pearls that are formed naturally by a mollusk with the human help. Pearls emanate certain warmth and glow not found in other gems, due to their unique formation inside oysters’ body. These cultured pearls are very good in quality and their lustrous appeal.

Cultured pearls are formed inside the body of oysters. The mollusk deposits layer of nacre, a combination of crystalline and organic substances, when any irritant or parasite enters or placed inside its body. Over a period of time with nacre building up in layers upon layers, the pearl is formed. Akoya pearls are the classic cultured pearls of Japan and known for its best lustrous appeal. The bead-nucleating technology of producing cultured pearls was developed and perfected by Kokichi Mikimoto of Japan in early 20th Century. Now China is the leading source of all cultured pearls - freshwater and akoya pearls.

Difference in cultured and natural pearls can’t be made with naked eyes; however, distinction becomes very prominent when seen through x-rays. Cultured pearls are used in pearl jewelry as well as in cosmetics. Cultured pearls have always been the preferred choice of all women and revered as one of the most beautiful and magical gems on this earth. Cultured pearls are now available in high lustrous quality and much affordable prices than ever before.

Although white color is synonymous with cultured pearls but they do come in various other natural shades link cream, rose overtones, pink, gray, peacock black, golden and lavender etc. Value of these gorgeous cultured pearls vary according to the type of these pearls and again it all depends upon size, color and brilliance of these pearls and pearl jewelry in each category of these types.

It is very important to take special care of pearl jewelry so that pearls always stay lustrous, bright and beautiful. Cultured pearls are more than just jewels. Cultured pearls are natural beauty. Cultured pearls can be worn with all kinds of dresses – from casual to parties. Pearls are not only symbol of purity; virtue and modesty but are real organic gems on this earth. Enhance your beauty with one of the nature’s best bounties.

FRESHWATER PEARLS

Freshwater pearls are grown from freshwater mussels in bays, ponds, lakes and rivers. They are largely produced in China now, but some pearls come from Japan, United States and other parts of the world. In 1963, John Latendresse did the first experimental U.S. freshwater cultured pearl farming in Tennessee.

Unlike natural pearls, freshwater pearls are culturally grown with the human help. Small irritants are placed inside the oysters and pearl formation takes place inside the oyster’s body over a period of time. Whereas saltwater pearl-bearing oysters are bead-nucleated in a small organ known as gonad. Saltwater pearls grow in oysters that live in the ocean, usually in protected lagoons. Akoya pearls, Tahitian pearls and South Sea pearls and are the three main types of saltwater pearls. Nonetheless, they all are cultured with the human help. Natural pearls are rarity now.

Freshwater shell and pearl mussels are from the family ‘unionidae’, from which up to 20 different species are commercially harvested every year. Interestingly, a single mussel can produce up to 40-50 pearl beads. Freshwater pearls are seldom perfectly round or even nearly round. The shape of the nucleus and its position in the mussel as well as quality of water determines the shape of the cultured pearl. Perfectly round freshwater pearls with high lustrous quality are called freshadama in pearl jewelry trade circle and normally command high prices.

Freshwater pearls are normally white and creamish in colors but are color-enhanced to suit designer’s demands to make pearl necklaces, pearl earrings and pearl jewelry etc. according to fashion and style. Freshwater pearls are cheaper and come in unique shapes and colors and are quite popular in recent years. Although white is synonymous with pearl and is the most common color but freshwater pearls are available in many attractive colors like cream, pink, peach, lavenders and black etc. Different natural colors are normally results of various other factors such as mussel species or genetics, the water quality and the position of the pearl in the shell.