The Four Factors for Judging a Pearl Bracelet
Many people know the four Cs for judging the quality of a diamond set into jewelry: color, cut, clarity, and carat weight. Gemologists, jewelers, and connoisseurs have four traits they look for in a pearl, too. The letters may not be as easy to remember as four Cs, but to figure out the value of a pearl bracelet, you will need to think about four factors.
Luster
Professional Jeweler Magazine says luster is the combination of a high, reflective sheen on the surface of a pearl combined with an almost three-dimensional glow that seems to emanate from within the heart of a pearl. It may sound abstract, but once youve seen it, its simple. Ask a jeweler to let you examine a very expensive pearl bracelet beside a less expensive one; the contrast will be obvious. (Luckily for the bargain shopper, you dont have to wear a pricey pearl next to an ordinary one.)
There is some chemistry behind different lusters. A pearl is made of layers of nacre, the substance an oyster secretes to form both pearls and mother-of-pearl, and nacre is actually made of layer upon layer of regularly arranged crystals. A healthier clam makes more nicely arranged crystals, and the more layers of nacre on a pearl, the nicer it will look.
A pearl bracelet probably takes more abuse than a necklace or earring, so with this jewelry, luster is doubly important. Good luster is indicative of thick nacre. Some less-expensive pearls have such thin nacre that it can scratch off easily. Look for the luster!
Shape
A perfectly spherical pearl is a rather rare thing. Luckily jewelers know how to use all pearl shapes in lovely jewelry. A pearl that is flattish on one side will go nicely mounted in a broach. And several strings of baroque (irregular) jewels make a fine, modern-style, pearl bracelet.
Color
Pearls are available in more than white, off white, and black. If your taste prefers it, take a pearl bracelet in pink, blue, green, or lavender. These colors actually occur naturally in some species of freshwater oyster. However, many more pearls are dyed and tinted. Ask the jeweler how his pearls got their color; if its natural, thats a higher price.
Size
A bigger pearl always commands a higher price than its cousin of the same quality. Gemologists classify pearls with a diameter over 8mm as very large.
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