Few items of jewelry are more beautiful than a pearl necklace.
Pearls are one of the few gemstones that are derived from animals. No one really knows who the first person was who pried open an oyster and discovered a perfect, glistening pearl or two nestled within it, but they’ve been sought after with great passion ever since. Fortunately, a pearl necklace doesn’t even have to cost that much. For more information, look up a website like http://www.thepearlsource.com/pearl-necklace.php.
A person in need of a pearl necklace has several types of pearls to choose from. When people think of a pearl they think of saltwater pearls, which are harvested from oysters in the oceans, bays, seas and other bodies of salt or briny water. An Akoya pearl is a type of salt water pearl.
Saltwater pearls are further divided into:
Oriental Pearls
These pearls come from the Persian Gulf or other bodies of water in Western Asia as far east as Sri Lanka.
Akoya Pearls
These pearls are from a special oyster that’s found mostly but not exclusively around Japan. These pearls tend to be round and white.
South Sea Pearls
These large, white pearls can be found in the seas around Burma to Australia and French Polynesia.
Freshwater pearls come from oysters and mussels found in rivers and lakes. They tend to be a irregular, but they can come in more colors than saltwater pearls. Among the fresh water pearls are the Japanese Biwa pearls. Unfortunately, they’re a bit rare now due to pollution.
There are also different pearl shapes. They can be:
• Round
• Off-Round or oval
• Semi-baroque, which can be egg shaped or pear shaped
• Baroque, which can be all kinds of shapes
The most sought after Akoya pearls are round. All other shapes will be of less value than the perfectly round pearl.
Necklaces
Jewelers sell pearl necklaces in different lengths. The price depends on the length of the necklace and the quality of the pearls that make them up. The necklaces are:
• Choker
This is a 14 to 16 inch necklace.
• Princess
This necklace is 16 to 20 inches long.
• Matinee
This pearl necklace is from 20 to 26 inches long.
• Opera
This can be from 28 to 32 inches long, or twice the length of a choker.
• Rope
Any pearl necklace that’s longer than opera length is referred to as a rope.
It’s up to the buyer and her jeweler to figure out which necklace is right for her!