Loved this article about pearls, which appeared today in the WSJ. by
Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan
Erwin Pearl, founder and CEO of jewelry retailer Erwin Pearl Retail
Inc., has become an expert in pearls in the 53 years he has been in
the business. But he's also an expert on a personal level -- with a
wife and four daughters, the 69-year-old has had decades of experience
buying jewelry for the women in his life.
When picking out pearls as presents, Mr. Pearl first considers what
his budget is. Cultured pearls, while a good investment, are the most
expensive and a basic strand of those could cost several thousand
dollars, he says. So, if his budget is lower or if he is purchasing
trendy pieces, he opts for freshwater pearls and glass pearls -- which
are made with a glass center that's dipped in a coating made of
crushed mother-of-pearl. These can cost less than half the price of
cultured pearls, he says. Glass pearls aren't always marked as such,
so you may have to ask the jeweler.
Mr. Pearl also considers whether the person already owns pearls and if
so, what pieces she owns. Most women who have pearls start with a
classic strand -- if the person doesn't own any pearls, he says that's
a safe choice because "they will always be in style." For gifts, he
says pearls that range between 8 to 16 millimeters in diameter are a
good choice. Not every woman feels comfortable wearing pearls any
larger than that, he says.
Color, too, is a big consideration for Mr. Pearl, who sometimes picks
pieces to complement the wearer's clothing. He recently gave a
necklace made of pearls with a brown tint to a daughter who wears a
lot of neutral tones, for example.
To make sure the pearls are of good quality, he pays close attention
to how they look in the light. "They should be lustrous -- the light
should be beautifully reflected in them," he says. "They shouldn't
look dull." Good-quality pearls should also be perfectly round, he
says. And if they are too light in weight, that should raise suspicion
that they are faux.
Find affordable pearl jewelry at http://www.moonriverpearls.com
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