7 factors when choosing pearls
No matter what type of pearl it is, according to GIA https://www.gia.edu/pearl-quality-factor there are 7 factors to consider when choosing pearls. They are: luster, size, shape, color, surface quality, nacre quality, and—for jewelry with two or more pearls—matching.
Lustre: Of the seven pearl value factors, luster might be the most important. Luster is what gives a natural or cultured pearl its unique beauty.
Excellent – Reflections appear bright and sharp
Very Good – Reflections appear bright and near sharp
Good – Reflections are bright but not sharp, and slightly hazy around the edges
Fair – Reflections are weak and blurred
Poor – Reflections are dim and diffused
Within a pearl type, when other value factors are equal, the higher the luster, the more valuable the pearl.
Size: When other value factors are equal, larger pearls are rarer and more valuable than smaller pearls of the same type. However different sizes of pearls would be adopted in different jewellery designs, its not about always using the biggest pearls!
Shape: Round is the most difficult shape to culture, making it the rarest cultured pearl shape and—if all other factors are equal—also generally the most valuable. However well-formed pear, oval, or baroque (irregularly shaped) cultured pearls are also prized by jewellery designers and pearl lovers.
Color: Natural and cultured pearls occur in a broad range of hues. There are warm hues like yellow, orange, and pink, and cool hues like blue, green, and violet. Pearls have a wide range of tone from light to dark. Pearl colors tend to be muted, with a soft, subtle quality.
Pearl color can have three components. Bodycolor is the pearl’s dominant overall color. Overtone is one or more translucent colors that lie over a pearl’s bodycolor. And orient is a shimmer of iridescent rainbow colors on or just below a pearl’s surface. All pearls display bodycolor, but only some show overtone, orient, or both.
It’s important to choose a pearl colour that best suits the skin tone of the wearer and bear in mind the colour of the eyes. Bluish-grey pearls will generally suit someone with blue eyes, while a peacock green Tahitian pearl will suit someone with green eyes better. Warm cream to gold pearls will suit a complexion that tans easily. Another factor that affects the overall harmony of the face is hair colour and this should be taken into consideration when selecting pearls.
A rough guideline of pearl colours that suit different skin tones is set out below:
· Olive toned skin – golden pearls
· Dark skin - white or warm cream pearls
· Pinkish rosy complexion - rose to cream pearls
· Pale skin - rose to white pearls
The best cultured and natural pearls have overtones; this effect makes the pearl very attractive and interesting to the eye of the beholder. Warm cream overtones can bring a softness to the final effect, Bright Pink overtones suit people with Blue or Green eyes. Pearls with peacock overtones can be worn with clothes of any colour, as the pearls themselves will echo any tone.
Surface quality: Like colored stones, most pearls never achieve perfection. In fact, a few marks give the pearls the hallmark of genuineness. Some might show abrasions that look like a series of scratches on the surface, or a flattened section that doesn’t affect its basic shape, or an irregular ridge that looks like a crease or wrinkle.
If surface characteristics are numerous or severe, they can affect the durability of the pearl and severely depress its value. Surface characteristics have less effect on the pearl’s beauty and value if they are few in number, or if they are minor enough to be hidden by a drill-hole or mounting.
Nacre quality: Luster and nacre quality are closely related. The thicker the nacre is, the longer the pearls will last, and usually the better their lustre will be. If the nucleus is visible under the nacre, or if the pearl has a dull, chalky appearance, you can assume that the nacre is thin.
Matching: Jewelry designers sometimes deliberately mix colors, shapes, and sizes for unique effects, but for most pearl strands, earrings, or other multiple-pearl jewelry, the pearls should match in all the quality factors.