Pearls are beautiful in their simplicity, and look great with any outfit. But, buying pearls is not always very simple. By following five basic steps, you can avoid paying too much for your jewelry or missing out on the perfect pearl.

The color of the pearl and the way it is set in the piece of jewelry may be the first things you consider, but are more personal preference than determinants of value.

The important steps to take when buying pearls are to look at the following:

• size
• shape (round, baroque, teardrop, or other)
• surface (smoothness and luster)
• type (natural, cultured, saltwater, freshwater or imitation)
• grade (A, AA, etc.)

Size

Like many (but not all) types of jewelry, the size of pearls is closely linked to their value. Large cultured pearls are harder to create, and large natural (found) pearls are incredibly rare. For this reason, a double strand of smaller pearls is likely to be more affordable than a single strand of large pearls.

Shape

In years past, the only acceptable shape for pearl jewelry was perfectly spherical. A spherical pearl is still the most desirable, but there is now a large market for oval, teardrop, and even disc-shaped pearls. These alternative types tend to be more affordable, but still must be symmetrical (round, when viewed from one end) and smooth.

Surface

The smoothness of a pearl’s surface is also very important for its value. Blemishes are not desirable, of course, but a small amount of surface roughness is to be expected in natural or cultured pearls. A pearl that is totally smooth, for example, is likely to be fake.

The luster, or “glow” of the surface, is important as well. Look for a shiny surface and strong reflection of light. If a pearl has a dull, cloudy surface, it will be less valuable than a lustrous one. Placing a pearl directly under a light on a flat, white surface is a good way to check for luster.

Type

There are several basic types of pearls:

• Natural pearls are the ones that are simply found inside of a mollusk, such as an oyster. These are extremely rare and, if they are of high quality, are very expensive.
• Cultured pearls are not fake, but come from a mollusk that has been “farmed”. In this process, a pearl is made to grow inside the mollusk by inserting a small irritant like a grain of sand. These can be produced in a large size and smooth surface by a skilled pearl farmer.
• Saltwater pearls are simply pearls found or grown in the sea. The trade names for saltwater cultured pearls include Akoya, South Sea, or Black Tahiti.
• Freshwater pearls, by the same token, are found or grown in lakes, rivers and ponds. The majority of these come from China. Freshwater pearls are typically a little softer and easier to scratch than saltwater pearls, and are a bit less valuable.
• Imitation pearls are typically made from glass or plastic. They have very little value and are typically used in costume jewelry.

Grade

Though there is not an industry-wide grading standard for pearls, there are two systems that are accepted by most jewelry dealers. The Triple-A system grades pearls on their flawlessness and luster, with one “A” being the lowest and three “A”s being the highest. The Tahitian system also grades based on flawlessness and luster, but it uses the ratings A-D, with D being the lowest and A being the highest. This system is used primarily for South Sea and Tahitian pearls.