Pearl Education Part 2 - Shapes of Pearls
A Pictoral Guide to Pearl Shapes
As you have read in Part 1 of our Pearl Education Guide one of the grading factors of pearls is their shape.
This is a pictoral guide to the shapes of pearls because pictures are often easier to understand than words!
As you can see almost round pearls are exactly that, almost round! There is so little difference between almost round and round that when strung on a necklace they look the same. Its only on very close inspection that you can tell the difference.
Teardrop and oval pearls are a very pretty shape, many people actually refer them to round pearls, and you get more pearl for your money as pearls are measured across their diameter not their length.
These are both 7mm pearls.
Button pearls are extremely popular, particularly for stud earrings because they tend to be flatter on one side. This is often (but not always) the side that is attached to the ear stud.
Front and side views of the same button pearl earring. Of course they are not all identical, some can be rounder than others, but they are great if you like large pearl earrings, and they have the benefit of being a fraction of the price of perfectly round ones.
Another alternative to round pearls are flat round pearls called 'Coin Pearls'. 
These tend to be quite large at 8mm or over and are more expensive the smoother the surface.
However, unlike other pearls, the non-smooth surface is probably the most interesting and pretty! Coin pearls can also be grown in other shapes including square and ellipse.
Baroque, egg and potato pearls are the least expensive pearls because of their non-symmetrical shapes. Having said that, they are still beautiful pearls in their own right and make very pretty contemporary pearl jewellery.
Egg Pearls Baroque Pearls Potato Pearls Biwa or Stick Pearls
Biwa pearls are long thin pearls that come from Lake Biwa in Japan. These days stick pearls are frequently called Biwa pearls even though they have not actually come from Lake Biwa.
Pearl Education Part 1 - Pearl Grading and Sizing
What affects the value of a pearl?
How are pearls graded?
Unlike diamonds, there isn’t an official grading system for pearls although the Mikimoto system has been adopted throughout the industry. Many companies specialising in the more traditional styles of pearl jewellery do grade their pearls but beware, as there is no official standard, a "AAA" graded strand from one company may be of a different quality to a "AAA" strand from another.
The grading is based on the factors below all of which contibute to the quality (and therefore the price) of a pearl.
Lustre - this is how much light is reflected through the layers of nacre and off the surface of the pearl. A good quality pearl will be shiny not dull so the better you can see your own reflection in it the better the lustre!
Surface Quality – Tiny marks found on pearls are normal, they are after all created by nature and are proof that the pearls are real! Pearls with few or no surface imperfections are the most valuable and a completely flawless pearl is extremely rare.
Shape – It takes years for a cultured freshwater pearl to grow to 7mm or larger, it is nothing less than a miracle if it grows in a perfect sphere! The rarity of a perfectly round pearl makes them the most valuable.
Size – The larger the pearl the more expensive it is as long as it has good shape, surface quality and lustre too! A smaller pearl with fewer blemishes and high lustre will be more valuable than a large dull pearl.
Colour – Pearls are commonly cream, pink and grey (black). The most important factor to remember is that the more expensive the strand, the better colour matched the pearls should be. This is easier with cream pearls as they are the most common, but in fact perfectly matched pearls, particularly if they are pink or black, tend to look imitation.
The final price of a piece of pearl jewellery depends not just on the quality of the pearls, but also how much gold or silver there is in the finished piece.
How are pearls measured?
Pearls are measured across their diameter in millimetres. Freshwater pearls are said to be 6-7mm or 7-8mm etc , this means they can be anwhere between the two measurements. An oval or teardrop pearl is also measured across its diameter but it will be longer than wide so will appear larger than a round pearl of the same size!
A pearl necklace described as 6 - 7mm means that the pearls range in size from 6mm to 7mm. When strung the larger pearls should be in the centre of the necklace and the smaller ones strung towards the clasp. This is unlikely to be obvious to the untrained eye as the change is very gradual!
**********
A note about our pearl jewellery images. All of the pearl jewellery photographs on our website photos are of the actually jewellery (not retouched or photoshopped!) and have been taken taken at very close range to enable you to see the detail of the item. This means that sometimes the tiniest imperfections which would not be visible to the naked eye may be seen in the image.
Romantic Valentines Day Jewellery
Will it be Heart or Pearl Jewellery for Valentines Day?
Women of all ages love to receive cards and gifts on Valentines day, it makes us feel really special.
We love that that you have taken the time to organize something special for us - just as much as we will love the card and gift itself!
Red roses and delicious chocolates are a gorgeous and traditional Valentines Day gift, so why not compliment them with a fabulous piece of jewellery too.
What could be nicer than to give her a beautiful necklace or earrings that she can keep forever, and that will always remind her of you? So here are just a few ideas to inspire you ...
Sterling Silver Heart Jewellery …
View all of our heart pendants, necklaces and earrings.
Traditionally Pearl Jewellery signifies love and affection which is why so many brides choose to wear pearls as their bridal jewellery. Any Pearl or Mother of Pearl jewellery would be a lovely alternative to heart jewellery, so you could choose a pretty pearl pendant, a fabulous pearl necklace or a pair of dainty pearl earrings that she can wear every single day!
These are just a few of our favourites ...
Little girls love gifts on Valentines Day too so why not treat the your daughter or niece too! See our range of Children's Jewellery.
We can’t help you choose but we can help make you gift look gorgeous by giftwrapping your chosen jewellery and enclosing a gift card with your personal note. Our Gift Wrapping page has full details.
Click to see all of our heart jewellery, or alternatively select 'Heart' from the options listed in Quick Shop under Any Earrings / Necklace Style.
Last orders - 2pm Friday 12th February by Special Delivery – make sure you are in to sign for it though!!!
View all of our Pearl Necklaces, Pearl Earrings, Pearl Bracelets, Mother of Pearl Jewellery