Posts Tagged ‘ Pearl necklaces ’

If you’ve read any of my posts, then you know that I love pearls, and especially pearl necklaces. Up to this point though, I haven’t talked about one of the most common ways to get a pearl necklace, and that is to buy a pearl jewelry set. In case you’re wondering what a pearl set is (if you already know then skip this), I’ll explain: a pearl set quite simply consists of a necklace, earrings, and sometimes a bracelet, all made of pearls. You can find any combination of those on the market in 2 or 3 piece sets. One of the benefits of buying a pearl set is that you can easily find pearls that match as well as introduce some versatility to your wardrobe.

A pearl jewelry set is meant to be classic and chic (and are often worn by brides), so you’ll most often find one available  in white. Akoya pearls fit the bill perfectly because they are known for their creamy white color, high luster, and consistently high quality. Freshwater pearls will also work well – the key is to know what you’re looking for, set a budget, then find the best available option in your price range.

Even if you’re not looking for white pearls, you have plenty of options. Freshwater pearls can easily be found in any color under the sun, provided you’re okay with dyed pearls. Some colors, such as red, don’t exist in nature so freshwater will be your best bet. If you’re looking for gold or silver, South Sea pearls are the way to go, while Tahitian pearls are best known for black and peacock.

As I said earlier, most sets consist of a necklace and earrings; however, a bracelet is still a great option either instead of, or in addition to, your earrings. You also might consider looking into a convertible pearl necklace. These are often pearl ropes (or opera length) with multiple clasps so that you can either wear them as they are – very long necklaces – or as a shorter necklace with a matching bracelet. Keep in mind that, though very versatile, ropes are generally a little more expensive.

Pearl sets are a staple item that will see through many seasons of wear. They can be worn to nearly any occasion and are even worn by brides on their wedding day. Just read up on quality standards, pick a color, decide on the type of pearls you want, and you’ll be set. Happy hunting!

If you want to wear something a little different from the usual classic pearl strands, have you ever thought about a tin cup or floating pearl necklace? The design features pearls spaced at regular intervals along a fine pearl chain or silk thread. These necklaces actually date back to 1996, when designer Wendy Brigode created a unique and stylish design for Renee Russo. The actress wore this necklace in the movie “Tin Cup,” which is why many people still refer to this design as a “tin cup necklace.”

Other types of pearl necklaces can be overwhelming for teens, girls, and women with petite frames. The floating pearl necklace features a more unique and delicate design than other types of pearl necklaces – strands of pearls can overwhelm and seem a little too formal, while single pearl necklaces blend in a little too much if worn with the wrong outfit. A floating pearl necklace, in contrast, enhances a woman’s femininity, adds grace and class, and can be worn at any age.

You should consider the statement you want to make before deciding which type of necklace to wear. A floating pearl necklace does not make the boldest statement; it is better to wear this type of necklace when you want to appear more feminine, but not when you want to seem aggressive. For example, a business meeting might not be the best place for this necklace. On the other hand, a first date, hanging out with friends, or dressing up for a party are all great occasions to wear a tin cup necklace.

The floating pearl necklace is a delicate design that works well for multiple occasions. It is one of the more versatile designs and is less expensive than a traditional necklace. If you don’t mind stringing the pearls yourself, these necklaces are also pretty easy to make. Simply buy the pearls in bulk and follow one of the many online tutorials. If you are just getting started, try practicing with simulated pearls or beads first.

Seed pearls are quite a popular choice in jewelry making today. They are beautiful, classic, delicate and actually affordable. There are a few different types of pearls to choose from, but the seed pearls tend to be the most sought after. They have been around and used in jewelry designs for decades now and can work for bracelets, necklaces, rings and other pieces. Seed pearl tiaras actually sold for thousands of dollars in the 1900s.

If you want to incorporate seed pearls into your own jewelry designs, there are a few ways to go about this. You could make a pearl necklace for one thing, as this is one of the easiest designs for a novice jewelry maker. For this project you will need some beading wire, two crimp beads, clasp, jump ring, two crimp bead covers, pearls, crimping pliers and a pair of wire nippers to cut the wire.

Start your piece by cutting some wire to the proper length. Keep in mind you need the desired length of wire plus an additional four or five inches, to give you room to finish the necklace. It is always better to have a bit too much wire left over at the end and have to cut it off, rather than not having enough and having to start all over again and waste that wire.

Once you have your wire you can use the crimping pliers to crimp one crimp bead onto one end of the wire. This stops the pearls from falling off as you string the necklace. Now you want to start placing your pearls on the necklace one by one, until you have the design you want and the necklace is of proper length. To finish the necklace, you add on the second crimp bead and crimp covers, then add on the clasp and jump ring.

Any excess wire should be trimmed off at this point, leaving you with a gorgeous necklace with no loose ends. To add more pizazz to the piece, think of hanging a pendant or choose a fancier clasp. You could also use a toggle clasp and keep this as the side of the necklace to make a more unconventional piece.

You can purchase seed pearls from most jewelry supply stores. They are very inexpensive and buying at wholesale prices you can get enough to do a few different pieces. They are beautiful and can work in any design.

While most necklaces are described by their length (i.e x amount of inches long), pearl necklaces actually have different names for each length and type. It is important to know which is which so you get exactly what you’re looking for! Here I’ll describe each type and note the types of clothing or necklines that each pearl necklace matches the best.

A collar describes a necklace that is 2 or more strands (in fact they are usually 3 or more), sits in the middle of the neck, and is usually 12 to 13 inches long. Though these were most fashionable in the Victorian era they are making a comeback. Pearl collars look elegant and chic with v-necks, boatnecks, or an off the shoulder style.

Pearl chokers are, at 14 to 16 inches long, a very popular choice. These necklaces sit just above the collarbone (I wish I had a visual, but for now, descriptions will have to do!). They are both classic and versatile and will add a touch of elegance to nearly any outfit.

The most common type of pearl necklace is the Princess. A princess length necklace is between 17 and 19 inches long and should sit around the outside of the collarbone. This length looks great with either crew and high necklines or very plunging necklines. A great choice for any woman – if you don’t know which type to get, choose this one!

Matinee length necklaces are approximately 20-24 inches and should hit at the top of the bust. Though this length is best suited to semi-formal attire, it also works with more casual wear and is the number one choice for a business setting.

Opera length refers to  a necklace between 26 to 36 inches long, hitting just above the midsection. As you can imagine, the name comes from the fact that this length was a common choice for a formal night out. It is still traditionally paired with evening wear, but its length does allow for a great deal of versatility. You may choose to double it for a look similar to a choker or collar, or knot it for a look similar to that which was popular with 1920s flappers. The doubled version would look great with crew or high necks.

A pearl rope is generally 45 inches or more, even though technically any length over 36 inches could also be considered a rope. These are generally worn only for the most formal of events, though like the opera, a rope may also be doubled or knotted. Another option is available in the form of convertible necklaces – these have multiple clasps, allowing you to shorten your necklace or even wear part of it as a bracelet.

So there you have it – six different types of pearl necklaces, from the collar to the rope. One thing to keep in mind when making your decision is the connotation that longer necklaces carry. Traditionally, longer necklaces or necklaces with larger pearls were reserved for more mature or wealthy women. Therefore, a pearl rope wouldn’t necessarily be recommended for a teenager as it may appear to others that she is trying to be overly mature. In that case, a choker or princess length may be a safer choice. As always though, the length of your pearl necklace ultimately comes down to personal preference. If you don’t like following tradition, don’t!

When you hear people talk about natural pearls or cultured pearls it can be a little confusing at first. The important thing to remember is that the process by which the pearl is created is the main difference. They are both natural pearls (as opposed to fake pearls) and generally have the same qualities. However, should you get your hands on a natural pearl make sure to have it examined by a gemologist – they are extremely rare!

The rarity of natural pearls is due to their formative process. Basically, if an irritant such as a little bit of sand should come between the mantle and the shell of a mollusk, then it is sealed off and coated with many layers of nacre. It’s an oyster or other mollusk’s defense mechanism to protect itself! This doesn’t occur very often in the wild and even when it does it is very unlikely to form a perfectly round pearl. Apparently only one in 10,000 oysters ever produces a pearl like this so they are incredibly expensive.

Any time you buy a pearl necklace you are much more likely to be getting one made of cultured pearls. The cultivation process involves inserting some form of nucleus to stimulate the production of nacre. Saltwater pearls use a bead or shell nucleus, making them perfectly round but with a thinner layer of nacre. Freshwater oysters are nucleated with a small piece of mantle so they have thicker nacre but the shape is more likely to irregular. Basically culturing just means control over the whole process and has allowed for the mass production of pearls.

So are there any differences? The answer is no, not really! Both natural and cultured pearls have all the same qualities but you will rarely see natural pearls on the market. There’s no reason to be worried about the quality or authenticity of your cultured pearls. Enjoy them for their beauty and if you do happen to obtain a natural pearl, treasure it for its rarity.

Have you ever been fooled into thinking that a fake pearl necklace is the real thing? Knowing how to spot a fake can be helpful for many reasons – it will help you avoid making mistakes when buying your necklace, and may even help you identify one you already have! Generally fake pearl necklaces may be called fake, faux, simulated, glass, plastic, resin, synthetic, artificial, or manmade if you are ordering online, but what if someone gives you a pearl necklace and you have no idea how to tell the difference? Here are some ways you can figure out if your necklace is real or not. (Keep in mind, cultured pearls are real! They are just artificially ‘induced’ pearls.)

1) X-rays. This is the most reliable test of all! An x-ray will tell you everything you need to know, including the actual thickness of the nacre, whether the pearl is cultured or not, and, of course, whether it’s real or fake. However, you will have to pay an expert to do this for you, and that can be expensive.

2) Destructive tests involve cutting the pearl open so that the core is visible. Natural pearls will be all nacre, freshwater cultured pearls will be nearly all nacre, and saltwater cultured pearls will have a shell core with a thinner layer of nacre. Faux pearls, on the other hand, will have a glass core with many layers of coating. I don’t recommend this at all! Why destroy your pearls?

3) Exposing your pearls to sunlight or a very bright indoor light will let you see all the color variations. Real pearls have so many color variations available that a perfect match is very rare, and in the sunlight, even more so. If both the body color and the overtones are perfectly matched, you may be looking at either a fake or an extremely costly real pearl necklace.

4) The tooth test involves running a pearl lightly over your teeth. Real pearls should apparently feel gritty whereas fake pearls will feel much smoother. This will fail to separate cultured pearls from fake ones, however – cultured pearls have a much thinner layer of nacre so they will feel relatively smooth. In general, I don’t know how reliable this test is – some experts seem to swear by it but I have no experience with it myself. Use at your own risk.

5) Magnification will show any imperfections or ridges that may exist. Real pearls will have years’ worth of nacre build up, creating some ridges that may not be apparent to the naked eye. Fake pearls will be mostly smooth.

6) Density. Real pearls should feel heavier relative to their size than faux pearls. In general – if you pick up your pearl necklace and it feels light, it’s fake. If it’s heavy, things get more complicated since well made faux pearl necklaces are nearly the same density as their natural counterparts..

Hopefully you now have a good idea of what the differences are between real and fake pearls. I should mention that Swarovski simulated pearls are very very close to real pearls – it will be hard to tell the difference in many of these categories. In that case, an x-ray will be your best bet. Good luck and I hope this helps you avoid buying a fake pearl necklace!

If you have a pearl necklace, you probably want to take care of it and keep it around for a while! The good news is that with a little love and care your necklace will last a very long time. However, pearls come from a living creature and thus are much more delicate than other gems such as diamonds. In this post I’ll show you what to do and what you should avoid doing in order to keep your pearls bright and lustrous.

First, you have to keep your pearls away from any sort of acids or heat. Acids from your skin, perfume, or makeup can damage the pearl’s surface, dulling their luster and potentially damaging the nacre itself. That’s why you will often hear the saying “last on, first off” when it comes to pearls. This means that you should put your pearl necklace on after you’re all ready to go out and take them off before you take off anything else. This will give them minimal exposure to damaging substances. One other thing to remember is that pearls don’t like heat. Keep them away from direct sunlight and don’t wear them while cooking dinner.

The way you store your pearl necklace(s) is important too. Remember, pearls aren’t diamonds and will scratch much more easily, so you will want to keep them away from other jewelry. The best storage method is a soft felt bag (with a slightly damp piece of linen), in a relatively cool place. Your storage area doesn’t need to be airtight, and in fact it’s best if you let your pearls breathe. This means you shouldn’t put them in any airtight containers or safety deposit boxes. Also, though you can hang your pearl necklace up if you choose, keep in mind that doing so will stress the delicate silk thread that is typically used.

Pearls will require periodic maintenance. Wiping them down after use with a soft cloth is recommended and will help them keep their shine. Just remember not to use harsh cleaners or you risk damaging your precious necklace! You will also want to keep an eye on the thread – you will need to restring your pearls (or have them restrung) every so often when it wears out. I have also heard that pearls need your humidity/body oils to avoid becoming dull, meaning that they should be worn often. I haven’t been able to verify this and it may well be an urban myth. Just keep in it mind. At any rate, you will want to wear them often anyway, right?

All of this may seem daunting but taking care of your pearls really boils down to a few simple things: “last on, first off,” avoid heat and direct sun, maintain well, and store carefully. Remember – if you love your pearls and take care of them, your pearl necklace will last a lifetime.

Knowing what the defining characteristics of pearls are is important if you want to buy a quality pearl necklace. It’s also good to know the defining characteristics of pearls if you’re looking for a bargain because you’ll know which areas you can compromise in to save money and which you absolutely need to watch out for. Recognizing quality pearls can also help you avoid buying a faux pearl necklace if you don’t want one. So without further ado, here are the top 5 pearl characteristics:

1) Luster (or Lustre) is the amount of light that is reflected from a pearl’s surface. It is the most visible quality of a valuable pearl. Why? Because the amount of luster is a reflection of the depth of the nacre (nacre is simply the material that pearls are made of, also called mother of pearl). Natural pearls will have more nacre than cultured pearls because in cultured pearls the nacre forms around an implanted nucleus, usually shell, and the pearl is harvested fairly quickly.

What you are looking for are pearls that are brilliantly shiny and so reflective that you can see your reflection if your back is to the light. Pearls that do not have as much nacre and therefore are less lustrous will seem dull, with little depth.

2) Size is another way to measure a pearl’s value. The most common size is between 7mm to 7 1/2mm – larger pearls will be more expensive since it takes years for them to form and they aren’t as common.

3) Shape is an area in which personal preference comes into play. The most valuable pearls are technically the perfectly round ones we know and love but they aren’t the only shapes out there. If you prefer a different shape, you can guarantee that your necklace will stand out from the rest. You may even save some money if you choose an irregular shape, such as a baroque pearl. Other shapes available are round, oval, teardrop, seed, and button pearls. Any of those will still look beautiful – again, it all comes down to what you like!

4) Color can refer to either the body color or the overtones of the pearl. I tend to think of white when I think of pearl necklaces but there are plenty of colors to choose from, including pink, lavender, white, yellow, blue, and even black pearls, with nearly infinite shade variations among those colors. A perfect set of matching pearls is very hard to find due to those same minute variations. For that reason, it’s best to buy matching jewelry such as earrings or bracelets at the same time as your pearl necklace – you’ll be much more likely to get a good match.

5) Surface refers to how smooth or flawed the surface of the pearl is. A perfectly smooth pearl with no pits or rings will be much more valuable and expensive than a pearl with some slight imperfections.

The above characteristics are the most important when judging a pearl’s quality. Some of them, such as color, shape, or size, are very personal choices and you may be able to save money if what you like is more commonly found. One thing I wouldn’t compromise on, however, is the luster of your pearls! The shimmer and reflective nature of highly lustrous pearls is what sets them apart from other gems, after all!

I hope this helps and good luck hunting for your perfect pearl necklace!