Cultured white, pink, brown, grey and black pearl necklace styles, freshwater, akoya, Mikimoto, South Sea and Tahitian gold pearl necklace styles; faux, vintage and antique pearl creations; mother of pearl, baroque and coin pearl designs; pendant necklace ideas; long and short pearl necklace lengths; elegant pearl chokers and single pearls for young ladies and brides; double strand pearl necklace options; simple pearl drop and floating pearl necklaces, bridal sets with matching pearl earrings and bracelets – at Jewelry & Accessories we guide you through the process of buying pearls, giving you all the information you need on quality, the various types and colors, and then showing you where to buy the best pearl necklaces online. We know where to get top real pearls as well the hottest fashion jewelry designs with real and faux colored pearls.
Our Pearl Necklace Guide includes:
In This Article We Will Look At:
- Pearl Necklace Length
- Types of Cultured Pearls: Freshwater, Akoya, Golden South Sea and Tahitian
- The Difference Between Cultured Pearls and Natural Ones
- Pearl Quality and Grading
- Colored Pearls – Cultured & Faux
- A List of Shops Where You Can Buy a Pearl Necklace Online
In Our Related Articles We Will Examine:
- Black Pearl Necklace Shopping Guide
- Tahitian Pearl Necklace Price Comparison
- Buying Freshwater Pearl Necklace Jewelry
- Where to Buy a Mikimoto Pearl Necklace
- Affordable Akoya Pearl Necklace Jewelry
- Where to Buy a Quality Antique or Vintage Pearl Necklace
- Shopping for affordable Faux Pearl Necklace Jewelry
- Alternatives to Round Pearls – Baroque, Coin and Mother of Pearl Necklace Options
- Drop Pearl, Pearl Pendant Necklace and Single Pearl Necklace Designs
- The Best Pearl Necklace Set Options
- Choosing The Perfect Bridal Pearl Necklace
- The Best White Pearl Necklace Designs
- Pink Pearl Necklace and Bracelets for Flower Girls
Pearl Necklace Length
Choosing the right length necklace is more important when it comes to pearls than with other necklaces since there is in fact a standard guide that you should know when shopping.
The first is the Collar length pearl necklace which is usually about 12 or 13 and may be confused with the term choker necklace which is just a tad longer. The most popular collar length pearl necklace designs are the antique multiple strands that may have a cameo in the center or may be joined in the center, all along each strand or only with a wide closure of chain or ribbon at the back. Many antique Victorian necklaces are fashioned at this length since they are worn high on the neck above a neckline or inside a collar. They are also the classic strands that were worn with off the shoulder and low neckline gowns, and are still very popular as bridal necklaces. A collar necklace has a Victorian look, and often made up of two or more strands wore high on the neck. Pearl collars can be gracefully wore with V-neck or off-shoulder tops and dresses.
The second is the classic pearl Choker which is just a little longer than the collar styles and is usually 14 to 16 inches long. This is usually a single strand of pearls that is worn freely about the neck, to peek through an open blouse or dress collar or to rest just along a rounded neckline or just along the throat when paired with a little sweater set. This length is also the second most common style that is also used to accent an open décolleté of evening dresses and bridal gowns.
The third classic style of pearls is called the Princess length which is quite a bit longer at about 17 to 19 inches. These may be multiple strands or single strands, but lay flat on the upper portion of the chest, best when worn with high neckline outfits like sweater dresses or fitted blouses and tailored dresses and suits.
The forth length is more dramatic but versatile, called the Matinee pearl length and is a single or multiple strand that is at least 20 to 24 inches long. It is fashionable this season to wear these pearls mixed with chains, sparkling rhinestone or cubic zirconia and even diamonds. They can accent a business suit, silk blouse, T-shirt or even a strapless tank top or evening dress. They are most elegant when left to their full length, although some ladies like to double them to create a choker effect. These pearl lengths are elegant and may be worn for semi-formal occasions, weddings and cocktail events.
One of the most dramatic and elegant ways to wear pearls is the fifth choice; the Opera length necklaces, which are between 28 and 34 inches long. These may be worn as a single chic strand or be bunched in clusters with other pearls or chains or sparkling gemstones to create wild fashion statements. However, the classic way to wear an opera length pearl necklace is to leave it as one long strand that is left flowing over an evening gown or suite. It is a very formal way to accent your wardrobe. It also may be doubled, twisted into a knot or clipped at the front with another jewel or brooch. Some opera length necklaces are lovely when wrapped twice around the neck to create a loose double strand choker effect.
The last length is called the Rope which starts at about 45 inches and may be worn as a choker in front with the long strand hanging down the back. It also may be doubled or tripled to create a choker, princess or matinee length. These necklaces are dramatic, sexy and very versatile, however, since they are so long, they are often faux pearls or made from the least expensive freshwater pearls to keep down the cost. They are also available in fun fashion pearl colors that can be bunched together and worn with other bling for parties and clubbing, paired with sexy tees and miniskirts or off the shoulder and strapless summer dresses.
Types of Cultured Pearls –
Freshwater, Akoya, Golden South Sea and Tahitian
Freshwater: Freshwater pearls are the most common and least expensive of the cultured varieties. They may come from lakes and ponds or rivers and are not always as round as saltwater varieties. Freshwater pearls are not usually investment quality, but make fun fashion pearl necklace designs that almost anyone can afford to indulge in. The best freshwater pearls have previously come from Biwa Lake in Japan (which is not a high producer of pearls due to pollution issues), but there are lakes in the USA and around the world where these pearls are cultivated. There are a few natural pearls found in rivers, however the most famous are the Asian, Japanese and Chinese cultured varieties that are harvested from pearl farms on inland lakes. A famous freshwater pearl is called the Kasumiga and comes from a lake north of Tokyo of the same name. The Kasumiga pearl necklace and jewelry have only about a 20 year history, however they are prized since they are often very large and come in a wonderful array of colors like pink, purple and even gold. Naturally there are also white ones, but the biggest plus to these freshwater pearls is their size, very unusual for freshwater varieties, being as large as 16 mm.
Saltwater: All other pearl varieties are saltwater. The best saltwater pearl necklace strands will be South Sea or Tahitian and will be large and round, much larger and almost perfectly round, unlike the freshwater varieties. Golden South Sea and Tahitian pearls are investment quality as are the best Japanese Akoya. All varieties also have things known as blister pearls which are pearly shapes that grow on the shell of the mollusk and not in it’s tissue, however these are usually of less value and have unusual shapes or are flat on one side where they have been cut from the shell.
Akoya: Of the least expensive and high quality are the Akoya since they offer such a variety of pearl colors that come in white or slightly pink tones or even the famous yellow Japanese Akoya. The Akoya are smaller than Tahitian and other South Sea varieties, and the smallest and most affordable Akoya come from Asian countries like Hong Kong, China and others. There are however very expensive Akoya vintage pearl necklace designs that have been crafted with natural or cultured gems and are collectors items and very expensive. Mikimoto vintage pieces and new jewelry creations, are some of the most expensive and sought after in the world. Mikimoto pearl necklace designs are primarily Akoya, and they are the best of the best Japanese pearls. There are very expensive lines and more affordable creations like the Blue Lagoon Collection, but all Mikimoto Jewelry is high quality.
Black pearls are both natural, cultured and nowadays sometimes color enhanced to be richer or darker or more lustrous black. They will usually be Tahitian or may also come from a variety of places in the western and central pacific and even in from the eastern waters around California and all the way down to South America. However, since cultured pearl farms are not dependant entirely on nature, there are black cultured pearl farms almost anywhere that saltwater exist. Black, blue, grey, silver, brown and a variety of color ranges are all found labeled as black pearls. Tahitian pearls in particular may have a wide gamut of colors that even tend toward lavender and purple. Absolute black as night pearls are rare although some lighter greenish pearls may be enhanced to be blacker. Genuine Tahitian pearl necklace creations will be expensive, because, if they really come from Tahiti, they must have adhered to the very ridged Tahitian export laws that govern the quality and quantity of pearls that exit their territory.
Pearl Quality and Grading
Pearls are easier to grade than diamond and other gemstones since their quality is often easily visible with the naked eye. They are grades by size, the thickness of their nacre, their luster and color. The best pearls will be large, round, have thick nacre and excellent luster, however there is no international standard that all growers, dealers and sellers adhere to. That said the basic industry terms are as follows:
- The top grade will be AAA and should be flawless with maximum luster, will not have defects on the surface, in other words they will be at least 95% perfect.
- The next best grade will be AA with at least 75% of the surface being without flaw. They will have a high luster and medium to thick nacre.
- The last grade is A and is used for the cheaper jewelry creations and even set in costume or fashion jewelry creations. The pearls will have a low luster and may have substantial surface imperfections, defects and flaws. However, in many cases if you are purchasing a piece of jewelry that is ready made, the jewelers will have taken care to hide these flaws by mounting or setting the pearls in such a way as to hide the worst defects. This may result in having what appears to be a high-end pearl creation that is very affordable. This is true for rings, earrings and brooches, and less true for cultured pearl necklace designs, since pearls in strands are visible all around and do not permit camouflaging of flaws. “A” quality pearls may be used in discount pearl jewelry like pendants and other pieces that have metal findings and mountings.
The Difference Between Cultured Pearls and Natural Ones
The difference between buying a cultured pearl necklace and a natural one is huge and yet not really very different at all. Huh….? We say this because pearls that have been grown inside a mollusk or clam or oyster are real pearls, the basic difference comes down to how difficult they are to find process.
- Natural Pearls are wild. They happen by chance or accident and form in the tissue or somewhere inside the mollusk from a small parasite or irritant that causes the crustacean to react by secreting a pearly or nacre substance around the irritant, thereby isolating it. Then, divers go and collect mollusks and retrieve the pearls. These are natural and occur in the wild with no help from man. These pearls are very, very expensive, in part because men and women risk their lives diving and searching for them and the largest and most lustrous ones come along only rarely. A full strand of natural pearls that are all the same size and shape and quality can take years!
- Cultured Pearls are also real pearls that grow in a mollusk or oyster. The process is not different for the creature, but the way the process begins is that man intervenes and inserts the irritant and then waits for the mollusk to spin the magic pearl, then the pearl farmer can easily harvest the crop without dangerous dives to search deep waters. The pearls are more uniform in size, shape and color, they are also sorted, they are more abundant due to care and can be delivered much easier to international buyers, therefore less expensive. They are REAL, just with a little help from farmers. This is a simple explanation, but enough to let you go ahead and shop for some pearl jewelry without wondering if the word “cultured” you see on the descriptions means they are fake. So, now go ahead and start shopping for those lustrous beauties you’ve been dreaming about.
Colored Pearls – Cultured & Faux
The best colored pearl necklace will be real. The choices are endless if you have a decent budget, and even quite varied if you have just $50 to spend. Freshwater pearls come in pinks, lavenders, greens and blacks as well as pinks and lots of other tones.
It seems a shame to recommend dyed pearls when you can have real cultured freshwater pearl necklace designs for as little as $22 to $30.
Take a look at the rich purple and lavenders, the lustrous oink, gold, peach and even black tones you can get for the price of cheap faux pearl necklaces but are actually real.
The only exception will be rich chocolate pearls which don’t actually occur in nature so are almost always dyed. But if you want silver, grey, green, yellow, deep gold, pink, purple, luminous blue and a zillion shades of black that lean toward to brown or green or purple, then go for Shecy pearls that come from the sea or the lakes of Asia and are real and beautiful and as natural as you can afford.
A List of Shops Where You Can Buy a Pearl Necklace Online
You want to buy a pearl necklace online with as little effort as possible and with a feeling of trust that you are getting good value for your investment.
Here are the top 12 shops to buy pearl jewelry:
- Shecy Pearls – cultured pearls from Asia & South Seas –Akoya & Tahitian
- JewelBasket – real and faux pearl necklace designs
- Heavenly Treasures – real cultured pearls and fine faux jewelry
- Holsted Jewelers – pearl pendant necklace styles for as low as $26
- Forzieri –single pearl necklace under $400. Ideal as bridal jewelry. Very Elegant!
- Fine Jewelers – designer real pearl necklaces and earrings under $100.
- Max & Chloe – pearl bridal jewelry $80 to $180 – designer faux and cultured
- HSN – real to high-end faux with pearl and CZ combinations
- QVC UK – pearl necklace UK — South Sea Pearls under £300 and over £1,000
- Buy com – costume pearl jewelry and affordable cultured pearl styles
- Overstock – real and faux pearl necklace designs from €24 to €100
- Spiegel – fine costume jewelry at affordable prices – modern pearl creations
Related posts:
- The Best White Pearl Necklace Designs
- Black Pearl Necklace Shopping Guide
- Buying Freshwater Pearl Necklace Jewelry
- Where to Buy a Mikimoto Pearl Necklace
- Drop Pearl, Pearl Pendant Necklace and Single Pearl Necklace Designs
