All about pearls
A set of pearl earrings is one of the most classic jewelry pieces, and every woman should own at least one pair. Pearl earrings go with any outfit, any color, and any hairstyle. There are many different types of pearls and whether for earrings or any other type of jewelry you must use some care in choosing. Price varies widely and with good cause as pearls vary in quality greatly. When you are looking at a pair of pearl earrings the following characteristics must be observed.
Brilliance
The brilliance is a combination of outer shine and a deeper glow. The brilliance of a good quality pearl should be luminous, not matte. You should be able to see your own reflection clearly on the surface of a pearl. Any pearl that seems too white, too matte or chalky indicates poor quality.
Surface
The surface characteristic takes into consideration the presence or lack of spots, bumps or cracks that might mar the smoothness of the pearl. The smoother the surface, the better the quality.
Shape
Since they are produced by oysters that are live animals, it is very rare to find perfectly round pearls. However the rounder it is the better the quality. Baroque pearls are asymmetric and can be brilliant, and attractive but they often cost less than a rounder one.
Pearl Colors
Cultured pearls offer a variety of colors, from a pearly white with a pink sheen to black, with variations of tints in between. The choice of color is strictly a personal taste, and you should consider the color depending on the clothes you want to wear and other jewelry in your possession.
Pearl Sizes
Cultured pearls are measured by their diameter in millimeters. They can be smaller than one millimeter (they are then called “seeds”) and can go up to twenty millimeters for pearls from the South Seas. The larger it is, the more valuable it is. However the most common on the market are from 7 to 7.5 mm.
These quality tips for apply to all jewelry, whether you are buying pearl earrings or a strand of pearls. However, they only apply to naturally produced pearls and not to imitation pearls.
For a classic look that goes everywhere, you might consider stud pearl earrings suitable for women with long or short hair. If long drop earrings are more to your liking check out the Isabella Rose 9-10mm Pearl Dangle Silver Earrings
- 14K Gold and White Pearls: Studs are always sophisticated – Gold is timeless – simple versatile always in style stud earrings.
- 10k Gold 8-8.5mm Black Pearl Earrings: Simply beautiful and classically elegant. The perfection of luster and setting make these earrings a great gift for any occasion.
- Four Petal Cross-stitch Natural Seed Pearl Stud Earrings: A cross-stitch design, alternated with pearls and flanked by diamond cubic zirconia. Great to wear for any occasion.
Pearl Diamond Earrings
Do you need a new pair of pearl diamond earrings? Amazon.com has the most exquisite collection of pearl diamond earrings, I have ever seen. The variety of styles and colored pearl diamond earrings they have are endless. The color selection of pearl diamond earrings at Amazon is huge. Amazon has pearl diamond earrings in colors such as white, black, rose, silver, blue, grey, cream, and gold-toned, among many other colors. Whatever color of pearl diamond earrings you are looking for, Amazon has the color you need.
Pearl Drop Earrings
Pearl drop earrings represent one of the most classic designs of earrings that have survived many different decades, and even centuries, of fashion. Varying in length, quality, price, color, and design, pearl drop earrings are both traditional and elegant.
What characterizes a pearl drop earring is the connection of an upper pearl (usually smaller in size) and a lower pearl, which is larger. They are connected with several links of metal, like gold or sterling silver, and the lower pearl appears to be “dropping” from the top one. The upper pearl is usually spherical in size and the lower is oblong, creating together an hourglass shape that is not unlike the female physique. This is perhaps why the pearl drop earring has continued to be considered so timeless. For a professional setting, a shorter pearl drop earring might be appropriate, whereas, for an evening event, you can make your look both classic and alluring with an especially long pearl drop. Many spins on the classic design have of course emerged, and so you can now find pearl drop earrings with as many as ten pearls or more in each earring.
The kind of metal used, as well as whether the pearl is real or “simulated,” determines what price point you are looking at for your earrings. Synthetic pearls are often made of glass or plastic and are easily distinguishable from a genuine pearl; real pearls are inherently iridescent. While the creation of pearls does occur in the wild, some pearls are now cultured and farmed, leaving the more rare varieties to become increasingly enviable.
Genuine pearls can be found in four basic varieties, described here from the least precious, to most precious. Price follows accordingly. Freshwater pearls are the most common, and therefore the most affordable. They are cultured and naturally occurring in fresh water, like rivers, lakes, and manmade pools. Pearl drop earrings made with freshwater pearls can be found for as low as $49.99 (originally $85) at Amazon.com, but are more commonly priced in the low $200 range.
The Akoya Pearl is slightly less common (and therefore slightly more expensive) than freshwater pearls, although they are the most affordable of saltwater pearls. Akoya pearls were originally from in Japan, to which the Akoya oyster is native. Its sheen is more lustrous than that of the fresh water, and when set in pearl drop earrings, Akoya pearls can be purchased for a range of $400 to $1000. Seeking out second hand or vintage Akoya pearls may be a way to find a less expensive one, although you are likely to encounter the priciest kinds this way, as well.
South Sea Pearls come in golden and white and are from the South Sea of China and off Australia’s northern coast. These pearls, like Black Tahitian Pearls, which are considered the highest quality, are both incredibly rare, and therefore as pricey as pearls come. South Sea pearls are so rare because the South Sea oyster can only create one pearl at a time. The oyster that produces the Tahitian pearl is not as limited in its production, but because the black pearl is so delicate and beautiful, it is still considered the finest pearl in the world. Pearl drop earrings made with Black Tahitian Pearls or Golden and White South Sea pearls begin at about $400, although the deals are fewer and farther in between. Expect earrings with these two kinds of pearls to be priced in the thousands of dollars. Both PurePearls.com and ApplesofGold.com feature a beautiful selection of pearls, ranging from Freshwater to Tahitian Black.
Color and design are the last two considerations to weigh in finding the right pearl drop earrings for your preference or occasion. Simulated pearls are of course synthetic and come in any color the manufacturer chooses to dye them. Genuine pearls, however, only come in white (Freshwater, Akoya, and South Sea Pearls), Gold (South Sea Pearls), and black, gunmetal grey, purple, and green (Tahitian Black Pearls).
The designs of pearl drop earrings are now virtually limitless. One can still find the classic two-pearl drop earrings described above but can as easily find pearl drop earrings that feature only one pearl, attached to a hoop, or even pearl drop earrings that use other gems where one of the pearls would traditionally go.
With how versatile and classic pearl drop earrings are, we might say that pearls have become a girl’s second best friend. Like with precious stones, pearls have come to have special meaning associated with them. Pearls symbolize overcoming difficulty with glory and radiance, as evidenced by the rather miraculous way in which oysters transmute a granule of sand into a magnificent gem. Pearl drop earrings might be similarly seen as being “never out of fashion “ because years of wear later, they are as timeless as ever.
Natural Pearl Drop Earrings
Pearl drop earrings come in so many types, shapes, colors and sizes, you may be quite overwhelmed by your many choices. My first reaction to having too many choices to something like this is this – just buy more than one! Buy many! Unless you want to stick to the very high-end natural pearl drop earrings, you can most definitely find something in your price range when it comes to pearls. Here are some facts about some popular types of pearl drop earrings available today:
Freshwater pearl drop earrings are probably one of the most popular types of pearl earrings you can buy. They are cultured pearls, that is, genuine pearls that have been grown in a pearl oyster in a ‘pearl farm’. They are “seeded” into the oyster using a small piece of shell from another oyster. These pearls are usually not symmetrical or perfectly round and are sometimes dyed different colors. This is good news for you if you are looking for pink pearl drop earrings, for instance. Freshwater pearls tend to be less expensive than their saltwater cousins, so they are very popular for use in fashion jewelry designs. A nice pair of 8 mm freshwater pearl drop earrings with a sterling silver fishhook will cost you around $25.
Black pearl drop earrings are very elegant and sophisticated looking. Genuine black Tahitian pearls are very rare and will tend to be expensive, but luckily there are many other types of pearls available in black, such as dyed freshwater pearls, and also glass or crystal black pearls. Depending on what you want to pay, you can find black pearl drop earrings for as little as $10 made with glass or crystal pearls and base metal findings, or you can find genuine Tahitian black pearl earrings for hundreds of dollars and up. The pair pictured with white gold leverbacks cost about $950. Just FYI, you can also find other fashion accessories available that are decorated with pearls, such as handbags, shoes, and belts that will look wonderful with your earrings!
Vintage black pearl earrings are very chic right now and are very easy to find, thanks to the internet. For actual vintage pearl earrings which will more likely be genuine pearls, you should expect to pay a very high price. Hundreds of dollars will not be out of the question, actually. There are many beautiful vintage-style pearl drop earrings on the market today, and many of them are simulated or faux pearl drop earrings. They will be very affordable, from $10 for simple single pearl dangles to $100 for simulated pearls with gold finding and possibly small diamond accents.
However you order your pearl drop earrings, I know you will enjoy them for years to come, especially if you buy quality earrings from reputable stores. They are so versatile and will go with your pearl strands and possibly even your vintage jewelry pieces. Most styles are very affordable, and so you don’t have to just have one pair…more is always better, right?
Rare and Exotic: Black Pearl Earrings
Black pearl earrings are one of the most popular items made with black pearls, and rightly so. Just knowing you are wearing something so rare and precious makes a girl feel special. Because black pearls are fairly expensive, you will want to know what to look for when you shop!
If you are looking for naturally produced pearls that have had no dyes or artificial colors added, look for Tahitian black pearl earrings. The pearls produced in the Polynesian area surrounding Tahiti are farmed in black pearl oysters, and naturally have that beautiful, blue-black color to them. Any black pearl necklace or earrings you see that is labeled as being freshwater pearls or Akoya pearls will have had some sort of dye or coloring added to make the pearls black in color because those types of pearls do not occur naturally in nature. You may also see pearls called ‘South Sea’ pearls, but that doesn’t mean that they are natural black pearls. Many of the freshwater pearls that are dyed to be black pearls also come from that area, so be sure to ask when you buy to make sure of what you are getting.
Many black pearl earring sets are one of a kind jewelry because there are so few black pearls available. That is one of the reasons they are very expensive. Budget-conscious shoppers might want to look at freshwater and Akoya black pearls as alternatives, as they will be less expensive than natural Tahitian black pearls will be. Mikimoto black pearl earrings are considered to be some of the most exceptionally well-made earrings in the world. The Mikimoto company founder, Kokichi Mikimoto, created the very first cultured pearl in the world. You can be sure that if you purchase black pearl earrings from Mikimoto you will be getting the absolute finest quality pearls available. With black pearl earrings, white gold is always beautiful, and the Mikimoto company has many designs available with both white gold and yellow gold incorporated into the earring’s setting.
One of the interesting Polynesian legends surrounding black pearls is that the god of peace and fertility, Ono, came to earth on a rainbow and offered a black pearl oyster to a princess in Bora Bora to signify his undying love for her. Because of this story, black pearls given as a gift are still considered to be a sign of romance and eternal love. Black pearls look so pretty with so many types of jewelry, like a black pearl necklace or even cubic zirconia rings. Always ask for a gemological certificate when considering the purchase a pair of black pearl earrings, especially if you are looking at Tahitian black pearls. That way you’ll end up with the genuine article, and you will be sure you have a gorgeous pair of rare and exotic earrings that you will be proud to wear for the rest of your life.