How to Buy

Use the following factors to evaluate any piece of cultured pearl jewelry.

• Lustre - The surface should be bright, not dull.

• Surface - The fewer blemishes on the surface of a pearl, the more valuable it will be.

• Shape - The rounder the pearl, the more valuable it is. Cultured pearls also come in oval, pear and baroque shapes.

• Color - Cultured pearls come in a wide range of colors from pink to black.

• Size - Cultured pearls are measured by their diameter in millimeters. With all other quality factors being equal, the larger the pearl, the more valuable it will be.

• Matching - When buying a strand of cultured pearls, matching is very important. All the pearls in a good quality strand should be evenly matched in terms of luster, surface, shape, color and size.