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Once, all pearls were only natural, most recovered from the Persian Gulf, occurring once in every 15,000 oysters. The price of pearls was so extravagant they caused wars and even funded a war, but today cultured pearls have made this “queen of gems” available to everyone.

Many royal families had an obsession with pearls. Some ancient Romans covered whole pieces of furniture in pearl, and in some monarchies only members of the royal were legally allowed to wear pearls.

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Length of Pearl Necklace

The 14-16 inch choker probably the most versatile of all pearl lengths. Your Choker will go with almost anything and any neckline - from a little black dress to a t-shirt and jeans.	Choker 16 inches	Princess 18-20 inches	At 18-20 inches, the princess-length pearl necklace makes a perfect chain for a pendant or pearl enhancer. It looks great with crew neck tops, and works beautifully for both high necklines and daringly low ones.
This mid-length pearl necklace, at 23 inches, is great with a business suit or a dress. It's not as formal as an opera-length strand or as short as a choker, but is still perfect on its own.	Matinee 23 inches	Opera 30 inches	Perfect for a night at the opera or any other dress-up occasion, the opera pearl strand is 30 inches in length. As a single strand, it looks wonderful with high or crew necklines, but you can also double it on itself and turn it into a highly versatile, shorter length.

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Pearl Characteristic

A pearl is a hard, rounded object produced by certain mollusks, primarily oysters.

A pearl is formed when a bit of sand or other irritant gets inside the shell of a mollusk, such as an oyster. The mollusk secretes calcium carbonate to surround the irritant, which accumulates in layers of aragonite and conchiolin. This layered formation causes the refraction of light that gives pearls their distinctive appearance. Colors vary with the type of mollusk, and varying nutrients in the water.


Pearls formed in the mollusk in a variety of shapes, including: round (spherical), off-round, semi-baroque, baroque, rice shaped, button or disk, and many fancy shapes created by the insertion of specially shaped nucleus beads.

When light touches the pearl, it travels through all the layers of nacre, and each tiny crystal reflects the light like miniature prisms. The end result? A lustrous, breathtaking pearl.

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Type of Pearl

Pearls come in two main categories: freshwater cultured pearls and saltwater cultured pearls. Freshwater, Akoya, and South Sea are the three main pearl types used in jewelry.

Freshwater Cultured Pearl: These are cultured mostly in the lakes and rivers of China using Hyriopsis Cumingi as the host oyster. The pearls are usually either shaped like grains of rice or are oval-shaped.

Black South Sea Cultured Pearl: Produced by black lipped oysters, these naturally black pearls come from Tahiti and Okinawa and are approximately 8 - 15 mm.

South Sea Cultured Pearl: These are large pearls, most more than 10mm, produced by much larger oysters (Pinctada maxima) in the warm waters of the South Seas, in Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Akoya pearls: Akoya pearls are produced by Akoya oysters in Japan. Depending on the size of the oyster, their size may vary between 2-10mm.

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Shape, Color, Luster, and Quality of the Pearl

The shape of the pearl is one important area where "value" and personal taste may diverge. Perfectly round pearls are extremely rare, and therefore very expensive. However, pearls come in a wide variety of interesting and unique shapes, and you may find some of these shapes even more appropriate to your own taste and personality.

Pearl exhibits a range of colors from white to pink, silver, cream, peach, gold, green, blue and black. Although some colors are naturally rarer than others, and therefore more expensive. However, the "best" color for you is largely a matter of personal taste and what looks good on you as an individual.

The larger the pearl size, the more valuable the pearl.  Contributing greatly to the value of your cultured pearl jewelry is how well matched each pearl is in a strand or earrings. They should all be the same size, shape, color and luster. The more they match, the higher the cost.

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Care of Your Pearl

Quality pearls are very durable, but proper care is necessary to keep them beautiful and lustrous. Here are important tips to care for your pearls.

• Wiped with a soft cloth before being stored. You may use a warm, damp cloth to remove body oils or dirt before putting them away.
• Kept separate from other precious metals or gemstones that might scratch or dull their tender surfaces.
• Keep away from household chemicals such as hair spray, makeup, and perfume. If pearls happen to come into contact with substances such as vinegar, fruit juices or detergents, immediately wipe that substance off.
• Do not leave them in direct sunlight or expose them to high temperatures.

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Fake or Imitation Pearl : Any pearl not made by mollusks. Imitation (also called faux, fake, simulated) pearls commonly are made of glass, plastic, or urea, and may be coated with any of a number of polymers, waxes, or fish scale extracts.

Here are two tips to help you detect the real and fake pearls.

1. If you rub the pearls lightly across upper front teeth. Real Pearls should feel gritty or sandy. Fake Pearls will feel smooth.
2. Most Real Pearls will have at least minimal flaws. If they appear absolutely flawless they are most likely Fake Pearls.

More pearl information can be found at at American Museum of Nature History