Starting My New Pearl Jewelry Project
So this is what I learned so far since investigating a pearl jewelry project, within the last few years the quality of freshwater pearls has greatly increased. It used to be that freshwater pearls were known for their lower quality and irregular shapes, such as the common potato shaped pearl.
Nowadays the quality of freshwater pearl necklace is very good and some of the top pearls can be considered gem quality.
Indeed it is very exciting to see the different colors, shades and shapes coming out of pearl farms. Most women who consider purchasing or receiving a pearl necklace as a gift will take into consideration the shape of the pearls, the luster, quality or nacre, and the price. China is producing vast quantities of freshwater pearls, and there is a lot of different variations to choose from.
There are other sources of freshwater pearls located in Japan and other countries. Chinese freshwater pearls are produced in vast quantities and dominate the world freshwater pearl market at this time.It may seem confusing when you are selecting a freshwater pearl necklace because there are so many different shapes, sizes and quality types. I suggest following some simple rules. For pricing nothing beats Chinese freshwater pearls. They are easily found everywhere, online jewelry stores, retail jewelry stores and everywhere else. I found mine on a website that at least assured me of a money back guarantee.
Buyer beware pictures posted on the Internet are typically not what you will receive when you order. Vendors usually post the most fabulous picture of that type of freshwater necklace that they have, you'll usually get a lower quality than what's posted. So you will have to use your judgment about which quality online vendor you will pick. Most of these vendors have a money back guarantee.
Shape is another very important factor in choosing a pearl. Freshwater pearls are not typically round, rather they are potato shaped. So if you think that you are buying a perfectly round freshwater pearl look again you may see that it's slightly off around and that's okay because no pearl is truly perfectly round. The rounder the shape the more valuable it is.
The luster is what makes a pearl beautiful, it needs to shine and radiate to the world. However Luster is a tricky phenomenon, it's known that Chinese freshwater pearls can appear very bright and shiny in some light situations and not at all in other types of light. Chinese freshwater pearls are not high luster pearls. You can find them with high luster, but they are much more expensive. I got the middle of the line, look great don't cost that much, I dont think there is a need for gem quality pearls.
Blemishes. Most pearls have blemishes on their surface. Blemishes could be scratches. Little bumps or dips. This is extremely common and could be considered normal. The least amount of scratches the better and more valuable pearl. Gem quality pearls can be found in an almost flawless state. Good quality pearls on the other hand will have blemishes that are very hard to see and therefore will look like they are flawless. The level of blemishes on the surface of the pearl that you are willing to accept is dependent upon you and the price you want to pay. I've often bought freshwater pearl necklaces that did have flaws that were visible upon close inspection but from 3 feet away looked absolutely perfect.
The last characteristic I want to describe or get into is color. Pearl colors vary significantly. Typical freshwater Pearl colors will be white, cream, beige, pink, rose, peach and lavender. Many other color variations are possible. Most freshwater pearls have been highly processed, meaning that they have been bleached and dyed. This is actually very common. Lighter colored shades are the least likely to be processed. Highly processed colors such as chocolate pearls have been heavily processed.
Nowadays the quality of freshwater pearl necklace is very good and some of the top pearls can be considered gem quality.
Indeed it is very exciting to see the different colors, shades and shapes coming out of pearl farms. Most women who consider purchasing or receiving a pearl necklace as a gift will take into consideration the shape of the pearls, the luster, quality or nacre, and the price. China is producing vast quantities of freshwater pearls, and there is a lot of different variations to choose from.
There are other sources of freshwater pearls located in Japan and other countries. Chinese freshwater pearls are produced in vast quantities and dominate the world freshwater pearl market at this time.It may seem confusing when you are selecting a freshwater pearl necklace because there are so many different shapes, sizes and quality types. I suggest following some simple rules. For pricing nothing beats Chinese freshwater pearls. They are easily found everywhere, online jewelry stores, retail jewelry stores and everywhere else. I found mine on a website that at least assured me of a money back guarantee.
Buyer beware pictures posted on the Internet are typically not what you will receive when you order. Vendors usually post the most fabulous picture of that type of freshwater necklace that they have, you'll usually get a lower quality than what's posted. So you will have to use your judgment about which quality online vendor you will pick. Most of these vendors have a money back guarantee.
Shape is another very important factor in choosing a pearl. Freshwater pearls are not typically round, rather they are potato shaped. So if you think that you are buying a perfectly round freshwater pearl look again you may see that it's slightly off around and that's okay because no pearl is truly perfectly round. The rounder the shape the more valuable it is.
The luster is what makes a pearl beautiful, it needs to shine and radiate to the world. However Luster is a tricky phenomenon, it's known that Chinese freshwater pearls can appear very bright and shiny in some light situations and not at all in other types of light. Chinese freshwater pearls are not high luster pearls. You can find them with high luster, but they are much more expensive. I got the middle of the line, look great don't cost that much, I dont think there is a need for gem quality pearls.
Blemishes. Most pearls have blemishes on their surface. Blemishes could be scratches. Little bumps or dips. This is extremely common and could be considered normal. The least amount of scratches the better and more valuable pearl. Gem quality pearls can be found in an almost flawless state. Good quality pearls on the other hand will have blemishes that are very hard to see and therefore will look like they are flawless. The level of blemishes on the surface of the pearl that you are willing to accept is dependent upon you and the price you want to pay. I've often bought freshwater pearl necklaces that did have flaws that were visible upon close inspection but from 3 feet away looked absolutely perfect.
The last characteristic I want to describe or get into is color. Pearl colors vary significantly. Typical freshwater Pearl colors will be white, cream, beige, pink, rose, peach and lavender. Many other color variations are possible. Most freshwater pearls have been highly processed, meaning that they have been bleached and dyed. This is actually very common. Lighter colored shades are the least likely to be processed. Highly processed colors such as chocolate pearls have been heavily processed.
