The Pearl Jewelry Blog

Pearl jewelry is one of the most obvious glamour statements any lady can make; please read on and we’ll take a look at four types of pearls available for the glam-seeker in you!

Not all oysters are the same therefore you will find that there is a difference in the types of pearls that are available. Four Types of Cultured Pearls:

Akoya, South Sea, Tahitian, and Freshwater are the four types of cultured pearls available through most jewelers. Akoya - China and Japan are two of the largest producers of the Akoya, a pearl which comes from a species of small oysters and are generally 6-7 cm in size. A white appearance with a rose hue is what distinguishes the Akoya; pearls larger than 10 cm are extremely rare and highly prized. If you are a follower of Hollywood celebrities, then you’ve seen various actresses such as Blythe Danner wearing Y Akoya pearl necklaces prominently adorned on their plunging necklines. 

South Sea - From the Philippines to Indonesia and all way down to Australia, this is the area of the world where South Sea pearls are harvested. With a golden, silver, or pale look, South Sea pearls are slightly more costly than Akoya and larger too. In the Philippines as in Indonesia, South Sea pearls are hatchery bred while in Australia these pearls are usually found in the wild, averaging 13mm in size. Daryl Hannah and Jacqueline Bissett are just two of the many actresses who favor South Sea Drop Pearl Earrings when appearing in public.

Tahitian - The lagoons of French Polynesia are the popular breeding place for the oysters which produce Tahitian pearls. Averaging nearly 10mm in size, Tahitian pearls come in a variety of pretty colors including pistachio, peacock, and aubergine. Who can forget when that handsome star, George Clooney, donated several gifts including a Tahitian-pearl necklace to the United Way’s auction benefiting Hurricane Katrina victims? Freshwater - Unlike the three previously mentioned oyster-producing pearls, another mollusk - the mussel - is the maker of the freshwater pearl. China is the largest producer of freshwater pearls and the widespread availability of these pearls makes them the most affordable pearl of all. Colors vary widely, depending on the natural characteristics of the mussel and whether they were treated or irradiated to achieve the desired color. Marcia Cross, of Desperate Housewives fame, has been spotted wearing a gold charm necklace around Los Angeles that has tiny freshwater pearl accents at the clasp.

No, you don’t have to be rich or famous to look the part of a Hollywood starlet as you have a wide selection of pearl jewelry options to consider for your private collection. Demi Moore may look fabulous with her South Sea pearl drop earrings, but so can you!

Surefire strategies show you how to buy her jewelry this year, the following are 3 easy steps to finding her an accessory she won’t ever give up…even if Grandma begs her to. 

1. Stick With What Works 

When it comes to jewelry, girls are creatures of habit. The variety they impose on their earlobes, necks and wrists rarely extends beyond a double- versus single- chain dangly earring, or a round pendant versus a square one. This makes your job (should you choose to accept it) quite easy. All you have to do is open your eyes. If she wears a pair of plain gold hoop earrings almost every day, get her another pair of gold hoop earrings that have a slightly different look -hammered to provide some texture, or only 3 quarters of a circle. If she adorns herself with large stone necklaces or bracelets, keep in mind that chunky and fun, not thin and delicate, is her style. 

Along that same vein, unless she has specifically mentioned that she wants to shake things up in the gold versus sterling silver category, it is safe to assume that if she has a lot of one or the other, what she has is what she prefers. She will not likely want to wear the new gold bracelet you have given her if she has no other jewelry to match it. 

2. Pick Colors Strategically 

Ever heard someone say to your girl, “that color really brings out your eyes?” Well, we guarantee she has, and she’s not likely to forget it. There are a couple of hard and fast rules to finding a color that complements skin tone, eye and hair color. The first is that when two colors are close to each other, opposites enhance, but similar tones clash. That means that if your girl has beautiful red locks, a big green necklace will make both colors much more striking, whereas an orange necklace would probably dull both down to an unattractive, orangey mess. 

The second rule is, the farther away you go from the source, the more likely that similar colors will catch and augment each other. In other words, any jewelry that is meant to bring out the green in her eyes should also be green, since eyes are small and far away from most jewelry. If, however, you are trying to draw attention to her fabulous tan, we recommend that her bracelet, necklace or earrings be white to create up-close contrast. 

3. Choose Something With Meaning 

When it comes down to it, we know she wouldn’t ever give away that necklace you bought her no matter how horrid it was, because she is way too sentimental for that. But wouldn’t it be great to buy her something she can form both a superficial and an emotional attachment to? The easiest way to do that is to buy jewelry that features her birthstone (yes, someone appointed a stone to every month of the year!) or an anniversary stone, if appropriate. 

This may be the one exception to rule #1 - if she has none of this stone in her collection currently, we are quite sure that after she reads that it is meant to guarantee a happy marriage (Aquamarine), she will quickly make it a staple part of her wardrobe. 

Believe it or not, many people abuse their jewelry. They keep them in drawers, in random boxes, and even left on countertops. Even if you’ve been lucky enough not to lose any pieces of your collection, not properly storing your jewelry can lead to damage and lost pieces.

If you want to keep your jewelry safe, here are some jewelry storage tips.  Purchase a Jewelry Box for Jewelry Storage A jewelry box is the best way to store your jewelry and keep your collection safe. Your jewelry box doesn’t need to be fancy.

It just needs to be able to handle the type of jewelry you have. For example, some jewelry boxes are designed specifically for rings while others are designed for necklaces and bracelets. You don’t want to force your jewelry into a box that’s not designed for it. Instead find one that can house your individual items appropriately.

A jewelry box is the perfect solution for your jewelry storage needs. If Jewelry Boxes aren’t Your Thing, Get a Jewelry Organizer Some people just don’t want a jewelry box or don’t have enough pieces to justify purchasing one. This is understandable, but it doesn’t solve your jewelry storage issue. So, instead of a jewelry box, get yourself a jewelry organizer.Jewelry organizers vary in design and shape. Some organizers are segmented, lined trays designed to store all your jewelry pieces while others are specifically crafted stands for specific pieces, such as bracelets and necklaces.

The key to selecting the right jewelry organizer is to purchase one that can store all pieces in your collection without the jeopardizing the integrity of each piece. So if a jewelry box isn’t your thing, but you’re still looking for a jewelry storage solution, a jewelry organizer is what you need.

They offer a quick and convenient solution to storing your jewelry when you’re abroad. Travel jewelry cases aren’t as durable or solid as a jewelry box, but it’s the next best thing when you’re traveling.

It is well known that buying anything at wholesale is going to cost less than buying retail. Wholesale jewelry is no exception. Wholesale jewelry is usually sought by resellers running their own retail business and those in the fashion business looking for accessories to offer with outfits. However, consumers too can buy at wholesale if they know the right places to look. 

One of the most important things about buying wholesale jewelry is finding the right source. Getting in touch with sources suggested by known contacts or online browsing can do this. Today the Internet is a major source of anything that one wants to purchase from anywhere across the world. Since there are many reputable suppliers with an online presence, there are plenty of good deals available for buying wholesale jewelry. 

Sources where one can buy wholesale jewelry
Online wholesale jewelry stores, estate sales, divorcees selling their jewelry and at times even ebay can be good sources of wholesale jewelry. Often the newspapers carry notifications of people who are interested in selling their jewelry. It is possible to find good quality wholesale jewelry in the form of replicas of expensive designs, thus making it possible for everyone to wear them. Many wholesale jewelry stores employ artisans who can mass-produce excellent pieces of jewelry for wholesale buyers. An expensive design can be reproduced using a variety of materials and semi-precious stones making it easier for the wearer to maintain and take care of. 

There are periodical exhibitions and trade shows that are another good source to buy wholesale jewelry. These can be very useful since there is face-to-face interaction with the sellers or their representatives. Also, many wholesalers offer competitive and other special offers in trade shows to promote their products and services. 

Factors to bear in mind while looking for wholesale jewelry
Experts suggest that for those wondering how to buy wholesale jewelry, the best thing to do is to find a reliable supplier who imports it from a several sources from all over the world. This will not only ensure variety, but also low prices. Supply will more or less be assured with new designs and items consistently. 

Variety in design goes hand in hand with variety in types of jewelry while buying wholesale jewelry. This includes items like bracelets, rings, toe rings, necklaces, earrings, anklets, and other body jewelry items like stone-studded belts, valuable key chains, hair accessories and so on. 

The wholesaler, with his or her exposure will be in a position to advise the buyer of what is currently the trend in jewelry. This will help the buyer to keep in tune with fashion so that there is no build up of stock gone wrong. 

However, though it is important to keep up with current trends, traditional designs never go out of fashion. So it is a good investment to also go in for sterling silver and other conventional designs that are used for specific occasions. 

Terms related to buying wholesale jewelry
The main thing to look for while buying wholesale jewelry is the minimum order value or quantity expected. There are times when the buyer may not be interested if the minimum specified is too high since it means high investment. With most online wholesalers, the minimum is quite low, making it reasonable to place the trial order. 

The wholesaler must be able to supply from stock since the buyer may not be willing to wait until it is available. The buyer can ensure that the wholesaler dispatches his material as soon as he places his order. It is worthwhile to do some research about the wholesaler’s standing in the market and also ask directly for references. 

There are many benefits of buying wholesale jewelry. Since there are no middlemen, prices are far lower than they would be if purchased through a regular retail outlet. Wholesalers are able to offer reasonable rates when they sell in bulk. 

Today’s jewelry is so vast in variety that a person can find almost any type of jewelry they can imagine. There are many types of materials used today to make jewelry, gone are the days of silver and gold being the only options in beautiful accessories. 

Although gold, silver, and diamonds remain to be the most expensive and beautiful jewelry, many people are opting to try different less expensive materials. The beauty remains the same as more expensive jewelry making it easy to find many pieces of jewelry in your price range. 

Materials such as beads and hemp have become increasingly popular materials used for making jewelry. Other countries have known this for many centuries and the United States have finally recognized the beauty of handmade hemp and beaded jewelry. 

Younger generations tend to wear more flashy jewelry than more mature adults. Adding a variety of jewels and chains to wear at once is the popular dress code as far as jewelry goes for younger people. As jewelry became less expensive by changing the materials to make it, more teenagers were able to afford buying it. Bangle type bracelets and flashy dangling earrings are also popular among the younger generation. With a style that is hard to imitate teenagers tend to wear more jewelry today then even twenty or so years ago. 

Adults tend to stick to wearing more simple conservative jewelry than the flashy jewelry popular among teens. Men and women alike enjoy the variety found in jewelry today. Men generally wear simple chain necklaces and bracelets. Rings men wear are simple and are mostly wedding bands. Watches are another popular kind of jewelry among men, from gold and silver to leather strapped. 

Women are more creative when it comes to jewelry. A woman tends to know which type of jewelry will help her to look close to her age, though in some ways can be similar to teens jewelry. With more materials like platinum and aluminum women have many choice when they shop for jewelry. 

A trend popular lately is to make your own jewelry. With a few tools and any type of material you prefer a person can make quality necklaces and bracelets. Jewel like beads are especially popular for adult women learning to make their own jewelry. Wearing a piece of handmade jewelry can bring a stunning effect to any outfit. 

The best part of the newer materials of jewelry that is less expensive is the fact that the metals or colors do not turn your skin colors. The old kind of jewelry would change colors, as jewelry got older, often times leaving colored marks on your skin unless it was real. Most people are happy that the costume jewelry doesn’t have to cost a lot to be beautiful. 

There are some gorgeous cultured pearls sets of jewelry available. This can be a great gift for someone else or for yourself. Learning a little bit about pearls before you buy them can help you get the best value for your money. Selection of pearls is important because a piece of jewellery made with pearls alone or pearls plus other gemstones can be a valuable and treasured item for generations to come.

What is a cultured pearl? While regular pearls are a natural occurrence, cultured pearls happen with a little bit of human intervention. Normally pearls form in an oyster or mussel when something threatens it so the nacre forms a protective shield around the intruder which might only be a simple grain of sand. Various methods are used to create pearls and technicians can be trained in various methods that can help create a desired pearl with various techniques and environments that force the oyster or mussel to begin the process of creating the pearl.

Cultured pearls can be abundant so may be a little less in price but are valuable nonetheless. The process might involve cleaning and bleaching and various shapes and colors can emerge. Many people order custom jewellery in various styles from all over the world. There are many different types and grades and this can impact the pricing and availability of the pearl.

Pearls can be appraised at hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on many factors. Pearls are graded on multiple attributes including: luster, surface, shape, matching and nacre. The higher the quantity could be a very valuable and beautiful pearl.

Pearls can be available in varied sizes and shapes and colors. You can buy a set that includes earrings, a bracelet and a necklace. This can be a great gift to give to your mother, your wife, your sister, your best friend, your bridesmaids, your niece, daughter or granddaughter. You can customize your jewellery and have something very ornate or you can have something very simple and elegant as well. A single strand of pearls around the neck can be classically beautiful.

Pearls available online include freshwater, saltwater, Akoya, Handama, white south sea, golden south sea, Tahitian and more. There are many online galleries that allow you to browse through collections and there are also companies that will do customized order for you.