Pearls

Luster
Unlike other types of jewels, pearls do not require polishing, and instead exhibit a natural luster. Luster is mainly defined as the combination of the unique surface brilliance of a pearl and the glow that appears to emanate from its center. In pearls of excellent quality, you should be able to see your own reflection, and there should be a clear contrast between the light and dark areas. Conversely, pearls of lower quality appear to be quite dull and chalky in appearance.

Shape
Most pearls harvested by pearl farmers are irregular in shape, and are known as baroque pearls. In general, these types of pearls are the least expensive ones, and they are popular nonetheless. Perfectly round or spherical pearls are rare though, and thus, they are more expensive. Pearls can also be pear-shaped. Since these pear-shaped pearls have symmetry on both sides, they are known as symmetrical pearls.

Color
Pearls come in many colors. In fact, they can range from the palest cream and white to gold, gray, rose, lilac, green, and even dramatic black. More exotic natural colors are more expensive. While the color of a pearl is a matter of personal preference, people with fair skin tend to look best in slightly pink or silvery white pearls, while cream, yellow and golden pearls look best on those with darker skin tones.

General Pearl Buying Tips
When buying a strand of cultured pearls, finding a strand of pearls that match is extremely important if you are looking for a quality piece. More specifically - the luster, color, surface, shape and size should be uniform on the strand. Due to the fact that pearl farmers must look through approximately 10,000 oysters to find enough pearls for a 16 inch pearl necklace that has these uniform qualities, it is no surprise that this necklace would be quite expensive. Be sure that you understand and find out whether the pearls that you are interested in are natural, cultured, saltwater, freshwater or imitation pearls.