Guide to Buying Pearls

For over 50 Years A. A. Pearls has been offering the most beautiful Pearls in the world.
When selecting Pearls, quality is the most important. Fine Pearls, with proper care, will remain beautiful for many generations.

Enclosed is information on how to select Fine Pearls that will bring pleasure to you and future generations.What is a Pearl?
Pearls are formed by the partnership between nature and chance, Cultured Pearls have a little help from mankind and the results are beautiful.
The Qualities of a Pearl:
Cultured Pearls are not rated by an industry wide grading system. There are specific qualities that do affect the value of a pearl.
Size:
More than any other factor, size determines the price. Pearl size is defined as the result of the planted nucleus plus the thickness of the nacre, which develops around the the nucleus. The more nacre on the pearl the better the pearl. A Pearl with more nacre will be less likely to lose it's luster and color. The thickness of the nacre can only be verified by an expert.
Shape:
Most cultured pearls are basically round, only 1% are perfectly round. Perfectly round Pearls, being the rarest demand the most value.
To check a strand, roll it on a flat surface. The better the strand the smoother the movement.
Color:
There is a wide span of hues to Pearls. The most common are white, pink,cream, silver, black and gold.
Finer Quality Pearls usually have underlying tones,they are rose, blue, green.
Pearls with Pink or Rose coloring are the most
preferred.
Skintone is a major factor in the apperance of Pearls.
Luster:
Luster is defined as the shine that gives Pearls their beauty. The higher the luster, the sharper the reflection of light from the pearls.
Surface:
One of the major criteria of a pearl is its cleaniness.
The higher the quality of a pearl the less imperfections it may have. A pearl being a result of mother nature will always have some imperfections. Stay clear of Pearls with large blemishes or pits.
Matching:
All pearls should be carefully matched in size, shape, cleaniness, color and luster. Noticable variations can lessen the value.
Types of Pearls:
Every Pearl is unique and special in its own way.
The differant types of Mollusks and natural elements often combine to produce unusual shapes and colors.
South Sea Pearls:
South Sea Pearls are Cultured in warm salty waters, South Sea Pearls can grow exceptionally
large and are usually black, white, or golden, and many shades of these colors.
Black Pearls are usually reffered to as "Tahitian" and range from light gray to dark gray with a very broad spectrum of overtone colors.
South Sea Keshi:
South Sea Keshi Pearls are irregularly shaped pearls that grow unexpectedly
alongside cultivated pearls in the Mollusk, they are usually made entirely of Nacre.
Baroque:
Baroque refers to the name of the style or shape of pearls that are irregularly shaped.
These pearls usualkly have tails or protrusions.
Akoya:
Akoya is the Japanese name given to pearls that are cultivated in salt waters around the islands of Japan.

Mabe:
Mabe Pearls are half sphere pearls cultured against the inside shell of oysters.
Freshwater:
Freshwater Pearls are generally irregularly shaped pearls grown in mollusks found in freshwater lakes and rivers.