Five Facts To Know Before You Buy Pearls

They're not just for the opera! Ever since Audrey Hepburn wore a playful set of pearls in Breakfast at Tiffany's, pearls have become fun, trendy, and even a little edgy.

The most beautiful set of pearls I ever purchased was a double string with sterling clasp, which I had custom-made for my mother for Mother’s Day. The pearls were near-perfect in shape with excellent lustre, with each pearl on the strands being very well-matched.

It didn’t come from a trendy jewelry store or a high-end department store. I commissioned it from a shop in Bangkok, which I found as I strolled through a bazaar, the sort of third-world bazaar where you can find everything you could ever imagine, and a few things you wouldn’t want to imagine. Scents of curry, fish that had been sitting out all day in the tropical sun, and the sweet sting of naam prik (red chili sauce) gently wafted through the entire bazaar. I came upon a small stand, probably ten feet long. A younger man worked the counter, while an older man with a long white moustache, probably his father, sat shirtless off to the side, slurping noodles. There was a live chicken running around behind the counter. They chatted animatedly with each other in the Isaan dialect of Thai, spoken in the rural areas of the north, saying something about the farang (white foreigner) looking at the pearls in the glass case.

I noticed the high quality of the loose cultured pearl strands right away, thinking how curious it was to see them in this primitive setting. They were expertly grouped by size and quality, and someone, I suspect the shirtless old man, knew a thing or two about how to match them well.

The old man joined his son behind the counter, not bothering to put on a shirt, as I looked through the strands trying to find exactly what I was looking for. Ignoring the seed pearl strands used mostly for cheap costume jewelry, I went right away to the higher quality strands and selected two of the highest quality sets in the case. Explaining to the old man that I wanted a double 18-inch strand, I picked out a sterling clasp from a cigar box, and he stuffed some betel into his mouth and went to work. I came back later that afternoon and it was ready – perfectly strung and looking every bit like it had come from an expensive shop on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

Who Wears Pearls?

The answer is, “everybody.” It’s a fashion statement for millennials as well as Baby Boomers, and of course, every little girl who has ever watched The Simpsons on television wants a set so she can look like Lisa Simpson. We’re seeing a Renaissance in pearl fashions today, with celebrities like Kris Jenner, Hillary Clinton and Ellen DeGeneres sporting newer, trendy designs that go well with a pair of jeans and a casual top, just as well as they would a formal Sunday dress.

Know Your Quality

Akoya and South Sea pearls represent the ultimate in quality, and if price is no object, this is the type of pearl to look for. But for most of us who are on a budget, there are alternatives. The pearls I bought at the bazaar in Bangkok were freshwater pearls, which can be every bit as elegant as Akoya pearls if you know what to look for. Freshwater pearls are graded on a scale of “A” to “AAAA,” with the AAAA grade being the highest quality and most rare, and “A” grade being off-shape and used for lower-end costume jewelry, AA often used in jewelry found at department store jewelry counters, and AAA and AAAA available in finer jewelry stores – the type where the salesperson wears an Italian suit with a perfectly folded silk pocket square and you have to be buzzed in. Except of course, if you’re lucky enough to buy the same ones from a shirtless betel-chewing old man in a third world bazaar.

From Vintage Classic to Edgy and Effortless

We may think of pearls as classic, and the simple grace of Jackie Kennedy reflects the epitome of this type of straightforward elegance. But in 1961, a movie based on the Truman Capote book, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” shook things up when Audrey Hepburn as naïve socialite Holly Golightly wore a five-strand pearl necklace with a large, playful cluster in front, and from that time on pearls became trendy, every-day jewelry, and some would even say edgy. Hepburn’s pearls said, “I want to look good, but I’m not going to take myself too seriously.” Ladies who frequented the opera may have been appalled, but Hepburn played a role in setting the tone for the more playfully casual but no less delightfully beautiful trends of the sixties.

You Don't Have to Spend a Fortune

With everyone from Kim Kardashian to Beyonce wearing pearls, interest – and prices – are rising, and experts say that the trend will continue. “It’s the perfect storm for pearl prices, and it’s happening right now,” says Leon Rbibo, President of The Pearl Source, an LA-based pearl wholesaler and importer. Rbibo points to multiple factors for the increase in prices – in addition to celebrities using pearls in more innovative and creative ways, Rbibo says political tensions in the South China Sea, where the most valuable pearls originate, contribute to the increase in prices, as well as increasing scarcity of natural pearls. Fashionistas looking to experiment can still get a good price though, and freshwater pearl sets may represent the best bargains available while still offering an exquisite-looking necklace that will go with virtually everything. Freshwater pearls are much more plentiful – and therefore less expensive – than other varieties, and are cultivated in mussels instead of oysters throughout rivers and lakes in China. Regardless of the mollusk though, freshwater pearls can be beautiful, with a rich lustre and excellent shape. Holly Golightly would have worn them proudly.

Rainbow Colors!

For the ultimate in playfulness, some fashionistas are mixing it up with pink and peach, lavender, grey and even light brown-tinted colors. While some pearls (such as the naturally black Tahitian pearls) are natural, others are dyed, but regardless the effect is stunning. A subtle pink hue in your pearls will go great with gold jewelry. Naturally shaded pearls, if rich in lustre and uniform in shape, can be very expensive, although dyed ones are often much more affordable.

Experimentation has become the rule of the day in jewelry and accoutrements, and women no longer need to feel constrained to purchase only traditional, white, single- or double-strand sets. There are far too many varieties available to ignore. Have fun with them. Like Holly Golightly, don’t take yourself too seriously.