Guidelines for Buying Pearls
Selecting the Perfect Pearl Necklace
Women in their 20’s start their collection with smaller pearls (6 to 8mm) and a shorter strand in the following lengths – Collar 12″/35cm, Choker 16″/40cm and Princes 18″/46cm.
Women in their 30’s and older prefer larger pearls (9 to 16mm) and longer strands in the following lengths – Princes 18″/46cm, Matinee 22 – 24″/52cm, Opera 30 – 32″/84cm and Rope + 45″/+114cm.
Height, build and complexion are factors to keep in mind when choosing a string of pearls. Generally, a larger size pearl will suit a taller woman and a smaller pearl a petit women. White, rose pink, black and grey coloured pearls will compliment a blue skin tone or a brunette. Cream, gold, green and brown pearls will compliment women with a yellow skin tone, red heads or women with a lighter hair colour.
All of the above are just guidelines in selecting your string of pearls. In the end you must be happy with your pearl necklace as it will compliment your own personal style and personality.
We suggest that you visit PERLES PAR ROUSSEAU as we can give you the best advice on selecting your perfect string of pearls.
Pearl Quality
Please keep the following five factors used in assessing the quality of pearls in mind when buying pearls:
- Lustre
This is the amount of light reflected by the surface of the pearl. The lustre of a good quality pearl is bright and you should be able to see your reflection on the pearl surface. Lower quality pearls will appear dull, too white or chalky. - Surface
As pearls are made by a living organism blemishes & imperfections will be part of a pearl’s surface. The cleaner the surface of the pearl, the higher its quality & price. - Shape
Pearls come in a variety of shapes from baroque, semi-baroque, semi-round and round. Round is the rarest & most valuable of pearls. - Colour
The many different colours of pearls are determined by the oysters that produce them. Colours range from creams, whites, pinks and greys to black, green& gold. Always look for rich, evenly distributed colour throughout the pearl. - Size
The quality of a pearl is not affected by the size, but size does determine the price. As it is far more difficult to successfully cultivate a large pearl, larger sizes will be more expensive. Classic Akoya pearls range from 3 to 10mm & South Sea pearls from 8 to 18mm. Freshwater pearls range from 3 to 16mm.