How to Buy Pearl Jewelry
Before you buy pearl jewelry, you need to know the different types of pearl jewelry that are currently available in the market. Pearl jewelry can have three different types of pearls: natural pearls, cultured pearls or imitation pearls. Types of Pearls: Natural, Cultured, and Imitation When a parasite or some external substance goes into the body of a pearl-yielding mollusk, the substancegets
covered by coatings of nacre; this substance then forms a natural pearl. It should be noted that natural pearls are seldom found in markets nowadays, which makes natural pearls a rare breed.
Cultured pearls, on the other hand, are pearls that cannot grow unless humans intervene and initiate the pearl-producing process. Cultured pearls can be grown in either saltwater or freshwater; hence, you may find labels like saltwater cultured pearls and freshwater cultured pearls if you go to buy pearl jewelry. However, distinguishing between natural pearls and cultured pearls is vital even if you cannot differentiate a saltwater cultured pearl from a freshwater cultured pearl.
Imitation pearls, as their name suggests, are produced artificially to resemble both saltwater cultured pearls and freshwater cultured pearls. They are manufactured using glass, shells or wax in such a way that they resemble natural pearls or cultured pearls. More...
Important features of a Pearl
Pearl Grading System
How to Care for Pearl
