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Freshwater Pearl Jewelry Shopping Guide
By: Robert Thomson
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Most women love shopping. They buy several clothes,
bags, and shoes among others. Jewelries are also an
important part of their wardrobe, and they would
like to own several pieces as much as their money
would allow.
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Do you know that there is a kind of jewelry that can be
found in almost all jewelry boxes owned by women? Yes, they
are called pearls. Pearls are made up of nacre, which is
manufactured by mollusks, mussels, or oysters as their
defense mechanism. When a foreign body enters their shell,
they immediately coat it with this iridescent material to
protect their sensitive flesh. These pearls are used today
as timeless jewelry pieces that complement a woman's dress.
There are two kinds of pearls as follows:
1. Freshwater pearls - grown and harvested in lakes, ponds,
or rivers.
2. Seawater pearls - grown and harvested from the sea. They
are named after the type of bivalve mollusks that produced
them such as Tahitian, Akoya, and South Sea Pearls.
Natural pearls are those that grow without human
intervention, and cultured pearls are developed when humans
implant a foreign object inside the mollusk or oyster to
begin the process of nacre coating. Since natural pearls are
already rare, most of the pearls in the market today are
cultured pearls.
Freshwater cultured pearls come in a much wider range of
shapes and colors than the saltwater kind. Their colors
range from champagne, white, off-white, shades of purple,
mauve, pink, orange, silver and brown. Their shapes come in
great variety such as:
1. Round - traditional shape often used as bridal jewelry
2. Rice - small and irregularly shaped, and with crinkled
surfaces
3. Potato - irregular and oblong shaped, similar to a potato
4. Oval - egg-shaped
5. Mabe - shaped like a dome
6. Keshi - tiny pearls known as poppy seeds
7. Buttons - round but flat on one side
8. Coin - flat on both sides
9. Baroque - free form, with no pre-determined shape
10. Circle - with concave, concentric lines, also called
ring pearl.
These varied freshwater pearls can be made into necklaces,
bracelets or earrings. You can use it for yourself, or they
can also be given as fashionable gifts. The price would
depend on a lot of factors: the type of pearl, their
roundness, size, and the absence of flaws. These pearls are
usually measured in millimeters, varying from 5mm to 18 mm.
All factors being equal, larger pearls are more expensive
than smaller pearls. Also, a perfect round pearl without
marks cost more than a slightly asymmetrical pearl with a
mark or a flaw.
If you are looking for an affordable pearl, settle for
freshwater pearls instead. They are also beautiful like
seawater pearls, yet they are less expensive. Plus you can
get a lot of variety to suit either your casual or formal
attire.
When you are shopping for pearls, remember to check the
luster. Observe it in under good light intensity to check
its glow. Also make sure you examine the pearl for scratches
or flaws. Choose the one that has the least markings as
possible, these pearls are very sensitive and it will be
difficult to find one that is completely blemish free.
For more information on freshwater pearls, pearl necklace
and pearl earrings and other freshwater pearl jewelry, visit
YouPearl Jewelry at
www.youpearl.com |
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