Besides Diamonds, Pearls are a ladies best friend. Pearls are a must for every wardrobe whether it is for a wedding, for work or for social. Pearls are gorgeous and Pearls are flexible. They can "dress up" even the simplest outfit which is why Pearls are so popular. Most women purchase their first Pearl jewelry to complement their wedding gown. However, most women don't know that if you plan ahead and purchase something with a little style and flair that you will be able to use that same jewelry over and over for years to come. That was the thought process for many of my designs. Pearl jewelry reminds me of Love and you will definitely love many of our designs. They are different and they always generate conversation from people who want to know where you purchased them from.

I also think it is important to take a moment and explain that there are many different types of Pearls found around the world. This fact alone often creates confusion in the mind of the buyer. Basically, there are six main types of Pearls:

1. Freshwater Pearls - these are actually grown inside of mussels in fresh water rather than inside of oysters in salt water. Freshwater mussels normally can produce multiple Pearls per mussel compared to a salt water oyster which is smaller and can only produce one Pearl per oyster. Therefore, freshwater Pearls are less expensive and represent good value for the money spent which is why I focus many designs around freshwater Pearls.
2. Cultured Pearls – these Pearls begin in a similar manner to Natural Pearls which are uncultured. When an oyster ingests an irritant the oyster internally secrets a coating around the irritant known as nacre which eventually forms the Pearl as we know it. The amount, quality and shape of the nacre that surrounds the irritant determine the value of the Pearl. Therefore, cultured Pearls have an irritant such as a grain of sand that is manually inserted into the oyster by a Pearl farmer. Cultured Pearls are also quite popular. One famous brand of cultured Pearls is the “Mikimoto” Pearl from Japan.
3. Akoya Pearls – these Pearls are found only in Asia primarily from Japan, China and Vietnam. They are normally grown in warmer waters and usually take about half as long to develop as Cultured Pearls. The color overtones of Akoya Pearls are also a little different including white, cream, rose and silver. Saltwater Pearls are usually Akoya Pearls grown in oysters and are farmed in saltwater Pearl farms. Once again, saltwater Pearls are normally more expensive than Freshwater Pearls.
4. Tahitian Pearls – these are the Black Pearls that you often hear about. They are fairly rare and usually come from the warm waters around French Polynesia . They are grown inside of a special large black-lip oyster from that region. Each Pearl is usually unique in one way or another and therefore it takes many oysters to generate enough Pearls of similar characteristics to make a decent strand of Pearls which is why they are also expensive.
5. White South Sea Pearls – are usually very large cultured Pearls ranging in size from 10mm to 20mm and consequently is one reason why they too are expensive. They are also fairly rare and normally are grown in Pearl farms in the warm waters surrounding Australia , Indonesia and other Pacific countries.
6. Mabe Pearls – are unique in the fact that they are also cultured Pearls but the big difference is that they are actually grown against the oysters shell rather than inside of the oyster. Consequently, they normally have a flat back and therefore are used primarily in rings or earrings which hide their flat backs.

Honestly speaking, it is difficult for the average consumer to really be able to tell the difference between good quality Pearls. Yes, it is true that Pearls are graded just like other gemstones and the grading's range in a scale from high to low of AAA, AA, A, B, and C in quality. The variables include Narce, Luster, Shape, Matching and Blemishes. Therefore, my advice for the average Pearl buyer is to buy from a reputable supplier but don't go crazy trying to buy the very best quality as you would in a Diamond purchase. Instead, my advice is to buy by design and buy by budget. Buy what you like if you can afford it. After all, you are going to be the one wearing it. If you like it, you'll wear it often. And if it is an unusual or different design, you will also enjoy the complements.