How Do I Judge Freshwater Pearl Necklace Pearls and Pearl Jewelry?
Judging the Quality of a Pearl Many people are familiar with the basic measurements of judging the quality of diamonds, but few people recognize the important elements of judging pearls. Yet the elements of quality and production are important in selecting the perfect set of pearl jewelry for your appearance, occasion, and wallet. First and foremost, it is important to understand the difference in pearl production. The rarest and most valuable are natural pearls. These pearls are produced naturally in oysters, when an irritant (often a parasite, instead of a piece of sand as popular belief has it) becomes trapped within the shell and the animal coats it with nacre – the same material as its shell. As these are historically extremely rare, and remain so today, most pearls on the market are instead cultured. These objects form in the same way, but have objects (beads, shells, and even other pearls) manually placed in an oyster or mussel. Though similar in appearance to natural pearls, th
