Bridal Club Magazine
How to Choose a Pearl Necklace for Your Wedding Day
The elegant beauty of a strand of pearls has fascinated brides
for centuries. People believe that wearing pearls on their wedding
day will bring bliss to their marriage.
Pearls are classic wedding jewellery. How do you choose
that perfect pearl necklace?
Here are some tips:
There are four types of pearls: Akoya, Tahitian, South Sea, and
freshwater. Akoya, Tahitian and South Sea pearls grow in oceans.
They are more valuable than freshwater pearls for their rarity and
high luster.
Akoya pearls are the most popular. These pearls are valued for
their rich colour, mirror-like finish, and appealing roundness.
As with any other gemstones, the value of pearls is determined
by their quality.
A pearl's quality can be A, AA, AA+, AAA, AAA+. The last two, AAA
and AAA+ pearls, have the best quality and they are most valuable.
For pearls of the same size, an 'A' quality pearl necklace costs
only a small fraction of AAA quality pearl necklace.
The quality and value of pearls are based upon six criteria:
luster, nacre, surface, colour, shape, size and matching. The
educated buyer uses his or her preferences to decide which criteria
are most important.
Nacre: Most buyers of pearl jewellery pay most
attention to the pearls' nacre thickness. Nacre is the coating that
a pearl oyster produces to cover the pearl's nucleus; it is the key
to how long pearls last. You should look for pearls with nacre
thickness over 0.4mm.
Luster and Surface: Luster is the amount of
light reflected from the pearl's surface. A strand of pearls with
high luster, mirror finish and clean surfaces is most desirable and
valuable.
Colour: It is a personal choice. Consider
buying a pearl necklace whose colour will complement your clothing
and your skin tone.
Size: The price of pearls that are larger than
7mm varies greatly. People usually buy the largest pearls they can
afford.
Shape: Round pearls are most desirable and
valuable.
Matching: For a pearl necklace or bracelet,
matching refers to the ways in which all of the pearls are similar.
It is difficult to find enough identical pearls to make a
well-matched pearl necklace; therefore such a necklace commands a
top price.
After you have decided the type, colour, size and quality of
pearls that you want, think about your budget. Take your time to
shop around and find that perfect pearl necklace for your wedding
day!