The educated consumer is our best customer. When you are ready to make an investment in pearl jewelry, a reputable jeweler, such as Kingston Fine Jewelry, is the best place to make your purchase. A professional jeweler has the experience and know how to work within your budget while keeping mindful quality and size. It is these variables which determine what you can afford to buy and what he or she will show you.

There are several factors which affect the quality of a pearl. They are color, lustre and measured size. We will review these briefly . . .

Lustre
Refers to the combination of surface brilliance and inner glow. A good quality pearl should appear bright to the naked eye. You should be able to see your reflection clearly on the surface of the pearl. A pearl that looks dull or chalky means it is one of low quality.

Surface
A “clean” pearl is one whose surface is free of disfiguring spots, bumps or cracks. The cleaner the surface of a pearl, the higher its value. Spots, bumps and/or cracks devalue a pearl.

Shape
Cultured pearls are “grown” by oysters, so they are affected by Mother Nature. A perfectly round pearl is very rare, so the rounder a pearl, the more valuable. However, asymmetrical pearls, called baroque, should not necessarily be ruled out. They have a quality all their own, one which many people find appealing, and they are more reasonably priced.

Color
Cultured pearls come in a variety of colors from rosé to black. For the most part, color is a matter of taste. Rosé or silver/white pearls look best on fair skin. Cream and goldtone pearls tend to be more suited to darker complexions.

Size
Pearls are measured by diameter, in millimeters. The “average” cultured pearls sold on the market today are anywhere between 7 and 71/2 millimeters. The larger the pearl, the more valuable.

Matching
As with other things in nature, no two pearls are exactly alike. Matching pearls is an art. It's the job of the person who selects the pearls for a piece of jewelry whose job it is to carefully blend the pearls, so they will look as much as possible alike.

We will be happy to show you our extensive stock of cultured pearl jewelry, so that we may help you make the best possible choices in your purchase. Pearls are forever and should be a part of every woman’s jewelry collection.

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