The Pearl Jewelry Blog

Tahitian pearls are known for their dark colors and exotic features. Often referred to as black South Sea pearls, Tahitian pearls are harvested in more than 80 different natural colors and overtones. When grading Tahitian pearls, however, the Ministry of Perlicultre in French Polynesia has defined export standards of grading only reflective of two considerations: shape and luster/surface.

Nacre thickness, while a grading factor in evaluating other saltwater pearl types, is no longer considered with Tahitian pearls as export is limited to pearls with adequate nacre coverage.

There are five shapes of cultured Tahitian pearls. All pearls exported from French Polynesia fall into one of the following categories:

Round: Perfectly round shape or nearly round with no more than a 2 percent variation in diameter.

Semi-round: Very near-round shape that has a diameter variance greater than 2 percent, but less than 5 percent.

Semi-baroque: Noticeably off-round shape that includes pear, oval, button and drop.

Baroque: Irregular, asymmetrical shape. Baroque pearls, by definition, lack an axis of symmetry.

Circles: More than a third of the surface exhibits distinctly visible circles thought to be produced by a ’spinning’ of the nucleus during pearl formation. If circles are present but do not cover at least third of the pearl surface, the lines are graded as inclusions in the luster/surface category.

The second consideration taken into account when grading Tahitian pearls is the surface and luster consideration. Surface takes into account the smoothness and perfection of the pearl skin while luster judges the quality and quantity of light reflecting from the pearl surface.

The Ministry of Perliculture in French Polynesia uses a five-tier system of grading which includes top-gem, grade A, grade B, grade C, and grade D. Anything falling below grade D is refused for export and is destroyed. This system corresponds to the US grading system which includes gem, grade AAA, grade AA+, grade AA, and grade A.

Top Gem: Perfect, inclusion-free surface. Luster is excellent.

Grade A: Perfect or slight blemishing that does not exceed 10% of the pearl surface. Luster is at least good.

Grade B: Surface blemishing that does not exceed 30% of the pearl surface. Luster is medium.

Grade C: Surface blemishing that does not exceed 60% of the pearl surface. Luster is medium to low.

Grade D: Surface blemishing exceeds 60% of the pearl surface. Luster is low.

Understanding Tahitian pearl grading enables consumers to make educated choices when shopping for Tahitian pearls. After learning to evaluate the core grading principles one can then determine what other value factors are most appealing to their personal style and taste. These value factors include body color, overtone and size. While certain colors and larger pearls are considered more valuable, the most valuable pearls to you should be those that fit your style and personality the best.

Ann McCarville is a pearl expert with years of pearl buying, selling and grading experience. She is the founder and president of PearlStruck.com, an online purveryor of fine cultured pearls. http://www.pearlstruck.com

Jewelries have always been a luxurious part of fashion. Yet no matter how expensive these accessories may be, many still seem to dream of having them. People who are into jewelries work and save money to buy the jewelries that suits their style and taste. So in shopping for jewelries, you must have the basic knowledge required to have a satisfying purchase.

Tip #1: Familiarize yourself
Before going into the shop to buy jewelries, it would be best that you are familiar with the words used in the jewelry industry. Check for the names of the stones, types of gold, the carat, and other important details. The value of certain gemstones can be determined only by an expert gemologist. Be wary of Jewelry sellers that do not have certified gemologist on their staff. They might pass on an inferior product.

Tip #2: Determine what you want                                                                                                                     Buying fine quality of jewelries is like hunting for a treasure. It’s not just merely picking one that delights your eyes. You should know how to choose from an array of amazing gemstones, glittering diamonds, lustrous pearls and precious metals. With all the glitter and colors, everything seems enticing and dazzling. Truly this experience can be really overwhelming.

Tip #3: Check different jewelry stores
Nowadays, it is possible to buy jewelries online. It would be easier for you to check this information from the Internet. Internet stores or shops may offer jewelries at a lower price as they do not maintain much overhead and location cost. Online shops can offer jewelries at 20 percent to 50 percent lower than that of local jewelry houses. Compare the prices and services they offer. These may be different from one store to another.

Tip #4: Check store’s reputation
Since jewelry is a form of investment, it is best to go to stores with reputable names in the jewelry industry. Be sure to find a store which has been around for decades. Whether you are planning to buy online or offline, check the store’s policy. It is recommended that you buy from a store with a clear return and exchange policy. If the store has one, check on their refund procedure. This way, you are assured that even after the purchase is over, you still have the assurance of being able to claim for a refund if some product defect shows up later.

Tip #5: Ask around
If it is your first time to buy an expensive jewelry and you do not know where or how to start, do not be afraid to ask people who have the experience in buying jewelries. Most of them will surely be happy to share to you some helpful tips. Whether it’s gold, silver, gemstones, crystals or pearl, jewelry is much more than a reflection of good taste or beauty appreciation.

It’s an investment and it is only right that you get a good value for your investment. Buying jewelries for any reason can be a very exciting experience. Learn all you can about jewelry quality selection to make your purchase a pleasant one.     By Puripong Koomsin

Your jewelry is an important part of your polished look, but you may not have a big budget for expensive pieces. That’s fine - there are fashionable affordable Pearl jewelry pieces that can do wonders for your wardrobe.

We all know just how important a pair of shoes is to your outfit. Well, your jewelry is just as important, so set your budget, and then decide how you can best spend that money to get the most value in your jewelry wardrobe. Pearl jewelry can play an important role because you get to choose from a wide selection so that you have the right piece for every out.

You can also look for costume jewelry designer pieces both modern and vintage those are an amazing option in artificial jewelry. These designers have learned to mix faux gems with various metals to create a powerful visual impact but you can add these fashionable affordable artificial jewelry pieces at prices you won’t believe.

The internet has changed the way we shop and that’s especially true for jewelry. Pearl jewelry is now more readily available then ever before. You can choose pieces from around the world and thanks to online retailers; affordable Pearl jewelry is just a mouse click away. The toughest part will be actually choosing.

Pearl jewelry is not new. It’s been around since the beginning of time. Royalty and other wealthy people would have their fine jeweler copied. This artificial jewelry with pearl setting would look exactly like the real thing but would have paste stones and plated metals. That way they could wear their very valuable copies and not have to worry about loss.

You might not have the family jewels to worry about, however you’ve got the benefits with pearl jewelry of enjoying some stunning designs from eras of the past. It’s not important which era you choose the jewelry. Just find a period that fits your style. And have a little fun with it.

Pearl jewelry will never go out of style and it offers you so many options. Why not find out for yourself?                        By Gordon Petten

If you’re like most people, gift-giving occasions can leave you in a quandary. Our hectic schedules are filled with family, work, and home obligations, and we’re constantly on the go. If we’re not heading off to work or taking the kids to soccer practice, we’re making a last-minute stop at the grocery store to pick something up for dinner or trying to make sure homework gets done and the kids are fed, bathed, and in bed on time.

Special occasions and giving gifts often fall to the bottom of our “to do” lists, and we’re suddenly faced with a birthday, anniversary, Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day, or another special day completely unprepared. We end up buying a last-minute gift and often feel more than a bit guilty at our lack of planning. The good news is that, when it comes to giving gifts, there are simple strategies that we can use to stay ahead of the curve.

Here are five tips to start getting organized.

1. Make a List. Start by making a list of all of the gift giving occasions coming up in the next twelve months. Include birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, Mother’s Day, and so forth. For each, write down the names of the people for whom you need to buy gifts. Next, sort the list into each month of the year. When you’re finished, you’ll have a master list of occasions and names for each month.

2. Start Making Notes. Think about each person on your list, and jot down their hobbies, their passions, and their preferences. For example, perhaps your nephew loves video games. Make sure you know what kind of gaming system he has, and what video games are on his wish list. Maybe your daughter and son-in-law were recently married and are setting up household.

Jot down items that were on their registry but that they didn’t receive as wedding gifts. It could be that your husband loves watches, or likes nothing better than running down to the auto parts store to pick up car accessories. Eventually, you’ll have a list of gift ideas for each person on your list, and will be more attuned to potential gifts in the course of conversations with them.

3. Shop Regularly. Now that you have your list of recipients and gift ideas, it’s easy to set aside an hour or two at the beginning of each month to do your shopping. If it’s the beginning of February, for example, sit down on the first of February and do all of your gift shopping for March.

The best sources are online stores that offer thousands of products -everything from electronics and computers to giftware and jewelry - at wholesale or near-wholesale prices. That way, you can buy all of your gifts from one online store and they will be shipped to your home.

4. Buy a Few Extras. You never know when you’ll need a last-minute hostess gift or a toy or game for a child’s birthday party. When you sit down to shop each month, buy one extra gift so you’ll have a ready supply and won’t be caught empty-handed.

5. Set Up a Wrapping Station. Keep all of your gift wrap, ribbon, and gift cards in a handy location. That way, when your shipment arrives, you can do all of your wrapping and have your gifts ready to go when the occasion arrives.
By Chris Robertson

Selling jewelry online sounds like the perfect business with its low overhead and minimal barriers to entry, but wait there’s more.

Having created an online wholesale and retail jewelry website, I must admit I was originally drawn to the idea for the same reasons mentioned above, but found outmquickly it’s not that simple.

The first thing to remember is that having a good jewelry collection is essential, but you also need to get prospective customer to your website or no one will know you exist. Many people are experts at creating a great website, but lack the ability to drive adequate traffic to their site.

One way to reach your targeted audience is through SEO. SEO, or search engine optimization, helps move your site up the search engines so that people can find you. There is a lot of information available on the net that can help you boost your page rank and ultimately attract new traffic to your site.

Another way to get your site known is through setting up a friends network account such as MySpace where you can quickly tell friends and family about your pieces and website. This works well as your friends may tell their friends and so on.

This may sound like common sense, but I’ve met many people whose business cards do not list the URL address of their website. What better way to passively present your pieces than by including your website along with the company phone and address.

Sending sales event emails to people that are interested in jewelry can keep your companies name fresh in others minds. Remember to send to “people who are interested” as opposed to random spamming that can create a negative image of your website and could possibly get you in trouble. Start out with those you know and eventually add those that have bought and have allowed you to contact them. Also, you may want to only send one email blast a month as to not alienate your customers with a barrage of emails.

Selling at festival’s and markets are a few of the best ways to promote your pieces and ultimately lead customers back to your website. People that buy from markets enjoy the experience of buying unique pieces they might not find elsewhere. Advertising your website on the jewelry packaging or the physical presentation area can create sales long after the event is forgotten. Residual sales are the key to an online presence and are created through a proper mixture of the right product, outstanding customer service and effective targeted marketing.

Selling jewelry online can be a rewarding experience allowing you to reach many people with similar style preferences. Just be sure to develop an effective marketing plan ensuring your website’s success.

Happy Selling in 2008!             By Mark Richard Sanders

Jewelry is the only accessory you wear throughout your wedding day that carries the glamour of your gown to your face and hairstyle and most importantly your personality. You are the one person who commands the attention of all your guests to stand and see you walk down the island in what you have chosen to wear, paying attention to every possible detail.

The necklace, the earring set you wear is an addition of your gown that draws the attention to your face spreading the design of your gown. Choose pieces that coordinate your entire look without looking over-jeweled.

Jewelry is a part of the bridal ensemble that should be chosen very thoroughly. The day after the wedding you put your gown and veil into a box, but jewelry is to be enjoyed over the years.

Many would-be brides are at a great loss when choosing jewelry pieces for their big day. Finding something beautiful, matching and becoming is never easy.

It’s not as difficult to choose the bridal jewelry as it may seem at first. The second thing is to decide whether you want to wear your bridal jewelry after the wedding day. If so, opt for something neutral, the jewelry you can combine with your evening gowns or office clothes if work takes most of your time.

In case you really want to have a big day where you play the part of the queen and are ready to pay for that, don’t agree for less than jewelry masterpieces, better if they are made exclusively for you by jewelry designers.

Remember that balance is the key. Don’t make your image too heavy by wearing too sparkling dress if your jewelry is a statement in its own. Don’t afraid to seem plain. A seemingly simple wedding gown is not a faux paus. On the contrary, skill to combine and compliment clothes, jewelry and accessories is one of the most essential laws of style.

Don’t forget the second style basics. Less is really more!! If you’ve decided on long dangling earrings don’t put a necklace on, otherwise it will look too heavy. Vice versa, in case you have a statement-like necklace, opt for small stud earrings.

Your hair style is to take into consideration as well. First, make an appointment with your hairstylist and discuss what you want for the wedding day, and only then shop for your bridal jewelry.

Make the most of what you have!                              By Neil William

One of the most popular adornments in the ancient world, a bracelet is a piece of jewelry that is worn around the wrist. The history of bracelets and their association to mysticism is an interesting lore. Different cultures across the world had different mystic associations to bracelets.

Indian women wore bracelets in marriage and associated it symbolically to being married; in Rome, the most popular form of the bracelet consisted of coiled rings with snakehead ends, symbolic of the youthful forces of life.

As per some jewelry experts and historians the female bracelet evolved from male warrior rings, related not only to the protection of the hand. And from there it further evolved into a major fashion accessory.

Types of bracelets

Bangle - A bangle is an ornament worn mainly by women around their wrists. It is usually circular in shape, and, unlike bracelet, is not flexible. The word bangle is derived from the Hindi term “bungri” meaning “glass”. Bangles are an important accessory for women in Indian culture. It is customary for married women to wear bangles. Bangles are usually skinny in width but wider width alternatives are also available.

Jelly bracelets - A fad of the 1980’s, Jelly Bracelets have shown a resurgence in today’s society. These are made of soft rubber-like material and are available come in a spectrum of rainbow colors, including clear. Apart from being highly trendy, jelly bracelets are incredibly cheap.

Cuffs - A vintage fashion, cuffs are worn around the wrist, fastened with Velcro or snaps. Cuffs are usually quite wide and often feature bright or eye-catching ornamentation, colors or designs.

Diamond Tennis Bracelets - The thin bracelet with channel-set diamonds is called a diamond tennis bracelet. The lore dates back to 1987 when Chris Evert, the champion tennis player of her times, was playing in the US Open. She was wearing an elegant, channel-set diamond bracelet, which accidentally broke during the game and the match was interrupted to allow Chris to recover her precious diamonds. The ‘tennis bracelet’ incident inspired a new name for the item and initiated a huge jewelry trend.

Gemstone Bracelets - Bracelets made of natural gemstones are popular these days as well. They add a mystic and vintage flair to any outfit and come in many different colors and varieties.

Pearl Bracelets - using Pearl as main piece made of bracelet strand in various style. They are many colors and sizes for selection. White pearls radiate quiet grace and a seductive alluring image 

Bracelets, in all varieties, colors and style, make great gifts, for a friend, loved one, or even yourself! So the next time you buy jewelry, think of spicing-up your look with a bracelet that matches your style.         By Sonal Kumawat      

REAL PEARLS, NATURAL AND CULTURED

The term “pearl” is not but should be applied only to natural pearls, formed in a mollusk when some event in nature induces the oyster or mussel to form a pearl. These pearls are quite rare and are the pearls of antiquity before pearl farmers learned to culture pearls. Freshwater pearls fished from the rivers in the USA are natural pearls but nowadays, most freshwater pearls are also cultured in freshwater pearl farms.

In any event, naturally forming or cultured, such pearls are formed in the oyster or mussel and are not fakes. The real difference in the totally natural pearl and the cultured pearls is what makes the pearl start to grow and the thickness of the nacre. Nacre is the pearly layers that make a pearl so lovely. The natural pearl will have very thick nacre, generally forming in concentric rings around some starting source or irritation to the mollusk.

A large natural pearl is very, very rare. Cultured pearls generally use a “core” of mother-of-pearl, the shell of the mollusk. The bead core goes into the mollusk and nacre is formed around the core. The core determines the overall shape of the pearl. How long the oyster is allowed to let the pearl grow determines the thickness of the nacre. Thicker nacre is better. Best of all is thick nacre and a smooth, almost blemish free surface.

Pearls grown inside the mussel or oyster do have a gritty feel to the tooth.

FAKE PEARLS

Fake pearls are made by coating a core of some sort (mother-of-pearl, plastic, etc.) with a plastic, a kind of paint containing ground fish scales or other stuff that look pearly to the eye. Generally, the fakes do NOT have a gritty feel to the tooth. Most may be identified with a little practice and a 10x jewelers loupe or microscope. The way to do it is to compare real pearls with some known fakes. The fakes almost always show a grittier “look” to the surface and not the more smoothly formed natural nacre. The look is grittier but the feel to a tooth is smoother. After some practice comparisons, most fakes are fairly easily identified.

Still, some are hard to detect without very thorough testing sometimes using solvents and acids which attack the real pearl nacre but not the plastic fakes and visa versa.

Other than that, a look at the drilled holes in the beads will help. Since the pearl is formed naturally without a hole, the hole must be drilled. The surface of the pearl at the drill hole will not “sink in” or “rise up” as is seen in many fakes that are formed and coated with the holes already made to the core. In the real pearl, the nacre will be smooth with the drill hole and might even be chipped a bit.

Some folks recommend having a dentist do an x-ray to see what is inside. Still, unless a person is very, very familiar with reading the images the results are very iffy. A core will look like a core whether in a fake or a cultured pearl. A core will not be present to any large extent in a pearl formed freely in the ocean but those pearls just are not around or to be had except in very small sizes.

Using a good loupe (hand held magnifier) of 10 powers is likely the best home test. Of course, try the teeth first! Then look at the drill holes and the surface compared to a good cultured pearl.

There is not a one-in-all test I can recommend. Some of this will simply require some “pearls” of real and fakes for comparison.

Even the jewelers are fooled once in a while but not often.Have you seen Mabe pearls? These are the large “half pearls” often seen in rings and pendants. Some years ago some really good fakes hit the market and were being sold at very competitive prices’that is, compared to the real ones. Many were sold and bought as the real thing! The testing for these required disassembly of the fake mabes plus solvent and acid tests. A lot of buyers were taken in on this one, likely never to know they bought and later sold fake mabe pearls.                   By Victor Epand

The purple gemstone amethyst has been treasured by mankind since its discovery, and has been highly desirable by people in positions of authority throughout the ages. Tradition has it that the stone was worn as part of the official robes of ancient Jewish priests and represented the spirit of God. This type of quartz was used in jewelry and crowns of kings and queens of ancient Egypt, royalty of the Middle Ages of Europe, all the way to the present day.

The color of the stone can range from deep violet to pastel purple. The stone is found in various amounts in many places of the world, with most of the amethyst mined in modern times coming from South America. It is the birthstone for the month of February.

Origins Of The Name

The name amethyst comes from the ancient Greek word amethystos that means ‘not intoxicated’. In ancient times it was thought that if a person drank alcohol from a cup made from amethyst they would not get drunk. This also led to the sprinkling of ground amethyst into wine to make the drinker immune from alcohol’s effects.

These attributes for amethyst in turn derive from ancient Greek stories. One of these stories tells that the Greek god Dionysus was in love with a Greek maiden named Amethystos. She did not return his love, and prayed to the Greek goddess Artemis to protect her and her chastity from the drunken god. The goddess answered the prayer and turned Amethystos into crystals of white quartz. When Dionysus discovered what had happened, he wept for his lost love and poured his goblet of wine over the crystals, thus they were dyed purple.

From ancient Greece to modern times the rich purple hues of amethyst have made it a very popular gemstone. Formerly reserved for the rich and powerful, modern discoveries of large deposits of the stone in South America have made the beautiful stone affordable for more people to own and enjoy. By Alan Beggerow

It is my job to advertise jewelry, when you buy my jewelry it is then the jewelries task to advertise you, or to bring out the best in your face and contribute to your overall appearance. This is a guide for those of us who love to buy jewelry. we are very fortunate these days to be able to buy gorgeous jewelry of good quality that does not break the budget and is not so expensive that we are afraid of wearing and enjoying it. So let’s make this jewelry work for you.

First – go through the jewelry that you already have. (Chances are that it is in a box in one tangled mess.) Lay each piece out on a soft cloth and inspect them. If they have silver or gold coatings over a base metal (i.e. not over a precious metal like 925 sterling silver) they will not keep their luster for very long. These are fine for a few special occasions but then they need to leave your jewelry box. Good only for youngsters to play dress-ups with. What you keep may need cleaning according to its metal or gem content.

Earrings – Are your most important jewelry item. They give that extra compliment to your complexion that no other piece of jewelry can give. The right earrings can make the difference between dreary and sensational.

In front of a mirror put on one earring. Look at your self from the side without an earring and then turn to the earring side. If the earring does not give your face that extra sparkle and light, put it out of your box into the kids dress-up box or have a lucky dip at your next party. They may look nice in the box but if they don’t do that ‘extra something’ for you, you don’t need them. Repeat this procedure with all of your earrings.

Your earrings need to work for you and earn their keep. You do not want people to look at you and say ‘beautiful earrings’. The earrings are to compliment you. We want someone to look at you and say ‘you look fantastic’ then they notice your complimentary jewelry, not the other way around.

Now put your jewelry into groups. This will depend on your life style and employment type. Roughly it will be casual, work in small clear plastic zip lock bags. When buying jewelry keep these groups in mind and buy specifically for your needs.

If you have done the above mirror test and have been honest with yourself you should now have a very good idea about what factors give your face that ‘extra’ sparkle. This will now make it easy to buy your earrings and other fine and fashion jewelry online where the price/quality ratio should be much better than you can buy elsewhere. I keep buying jewelry for myself and family. It is great for gifts. Jewelry is the feel good gift for any occasion.           By Kathleen Aherne