Pearls are also valuable like diamonds. This is because to get a pearl, you’ll b needing to fight of against giant clams. Imagine the risk these pearl farmers just to give a pearl to their loved ones.
Now, pearls can just be cultured. If a pearl is cultured, it does not mean it has no flaws. A cultured pearl will eventually lose its luster and beauty over time depending on the quality.
One factor to discern to know if the pearl is of great quality is its nacre. The nacre is the source of the pearl’s luster and beauty. There might be some cultured pearls that thin nacres. A high quality pearl naturally has thicker nacre.
Here are the seven quality factors that are used to discern a pearl: thickness and quality of nacre, size, luster, color, surface complexion, matching and shape.
The most important thing considered in pearls is the thickness of the nacre. The intensity of its luster and its iridescence depends on the nacres thickness. How long the cultured pearl retains its beauty also depends on the nacre.
Here are the various thicknesses of nacres. Very thick and thick nacres have at least .5mm on all pearls in their strand. Pearls that have .35 to .5mm on all their strands are considered medium. Thin pearls have .25mm or less on all their strands.
The pearl’s luster should be the source of the intensity of the brightness or the brilliance that comes along within the pearl. The luster is due to the reflection of light through the nacre’s layers. A pearl of high quality will have luminous balls inside. The luminous is just an optical illusion. It is caused by the contrast between the shaded and illuminated parts of the pearl.
The color of the pearl is based on its overtone and body color. The body colors of pearls that are cultured include green, white, grey, black, gold, cream, red, yellow, and blue. You may even request a fuchsia colored pearl. Overtones are the intensity. The lighter the intensity the lower the value of the pearl.
Size matters in pearls. The larger it is the more expensive it gets. This is because the pearl divers had to fight of a monster clam to get it. All jokes aside, a larger pearl is more expensive because it takes a long time to grow.
Don’t worry if your pearl has a blemish. It’s only natural, because all pearls have blemishes because they are formed naturally. Blemishes include bumps or even patches of nacre, spots and cracks, and discolored areas.
The basic shape of pearls is symmetrical, spherical and baroque. The round pearls are the ones that are most desirable. Symmetrical pearls are further classified as slightly-off round and off-round oval. Baroque pearls are either pear shaped or irregular ones. Somewhere out there, they might be a square or triangle pearl.
When buying a pearl, always take into consideration all the factors mentioned above. The value of your jewelry made of pearls such as earrings, necklaces, etc. are affected depending on how highly matched they are. You wouldn’t want a necklace that has Technicolor pearls.
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