Fixit: Guidelines for purchasing pearls

By KAREN YOUSO, Star Tribune

Last update: September 23, 2009 - 4:28 PM

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Q My wife loves pearls, and I like to buy them for her. How do I know that I'm getting my money's worth?

A It can be tricky. There's no industrywide standard pearl grading system. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), however, has guidelines. It also recommends that you obtain a pearl grading report, which will provide specific details of that pearl.

When buying pearls, consider:

• Size: Pearl size is measured in millimeters. Typically, all other factors being equal, a larger pearl of a certain type is more expensive than a smaller one.

• Shape: There are three main categories to pearl shape: spherical, symmetrical and baroque. An example of a symmetrical pearl is an oval, while baroque pearls are irregular in shape.

• Color: With cultured pearls, look at "bodycolor" and, if present, overtone. Bodycolor is the dominant color of the pearl, while overtone refers to one or more translucent colors that overlie the bodycolor (like blush on a woman's cheek). A third component of some pearls' coloring is "orient." When present, it looks like a moving iridescence on or just below a pearl's surface.

• Luster: This is the intensity of light reflected from a pearl's surface. In general, more lustrous pearls will have a higher value. The GIA uses the terms excellent, good and fair to describe luster on cultured pearls.

• Surface quality: This factor looks at the blemishes, or surface irregularities, on a pearl. Typical blemishes include bumps, abrasions and spots; the visibility of the irregularities will affect the cost. Very few pearls, however, are free of blemishes.

• Nacre quality: Fine nacre quality means that a cultured pearl has a reasonable thickness of nacre around the nucleus as well as a high luster.

• Matching: This is the uniformity of appearance in strands and multipearl pieces of jewelry, and is judged by the consistency of all of the above factors.

Jessica Sachariason, public relations coordinator, GIA

Send your questions to Fixit in care of the Star Tribune, 425 Portland Av. S., Minneapolis, MN 55488, or call 612-673-7032, or e-mail fixit@startribune.com. Past columns are available at www.startribune.com/fixit. Sorry, Fixit cannot supply individual replies.

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