Sapphire Jewelry Collection

Round Loose Bead

Information on Loose Pearls

Pearls come in a variety of sizes, types, and shapes. A sure way to save money on pearl jewelry is by buying loose pearls which are usually sold by the bulk. To make sure that your wholesale pearls are authentic, you need to understand the basics about these gems first.

Natural and Cultured

Natural pearls are pearls which have been honed without the aid of human hands. These are more lustrous than cultured or farmed pearls because they are fruits of years of natural calcium formations. Cultured pearls are not fake pearls, but are cheaper because they’re easier to produce. While a single natural, well-rounded pearl would cost you your liver (because of its rarity), a whole strand of well-rounded loose pearls is fairly affordable.

To know the difference between a natural and a cultured pearl, you can conduct the old front tooth test. Cultured pearls would feel smooth and slippery when brushed against your teeth, while natural, pricier pearls would be less perfect and feel slightly gritty.

Imitation and cultured pearls

Never mistake cultured pearls for imitation pearls. Imitation or synthetic pearls are usually painted-over glass or plastic beads. They should, therefore, cost a lot less than cultured pearls. To make sure that the pearls you’re availing are real and not synthetic, ask the dealer to scratch his/her knife against the pearl bead. If it’s synthetic, the paint will wear off. If it’s real pearl, the scraped off material should be powdery. 

Pearl shapes

Valuing pearls are slightly tricky. The way pearls are graded depends on their luster, their size, and their type. Naturally, rarer pearls cost a lot more. Natural, black, well rounded pearls would probably cost an arm and a leg. Unless you’re an avid collector, you should probably go for cultured pearls which are semi- or well-rounded. Some dealers “dye” their cultured pearls, so they resemble the rarer black Tahiti natural pearls, or the purplish or pinkish hues of deep sea water pearls. The leading pearl farming countries that produce loose pearls are China and Japan.

About the Author

The article is contributed by a professional content writer, having experiences of working in different industries. For further information on loose pearls please visit http://www.alohapearls.com/

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