A buyer's guide to freshwater pearls

Freshwater pearls come in many shapes, sizes and prices. I am going to attempt to outline what determines the value of pearls so you can better tell if you are buying good pearls and getting value for your money. I am by no means an expert on pearls. I just know the basics, which I would like to pass on to you.

There are several factors that determine the value of pearls. The first is luster. Luster is the shine of pearls, the iridescence. To me luster is the most important determining factor of the value and beauty of pearls. If the pearls you are considering are not shiny, look for some other pearls. The luster of pearls is caused by nacre, the substance the mollusk makes around the pearl. Nacre is what makes pearls so wonderful. One thing to consider - pearls do not look their best in bright sun. If you're looking at pearls in bright light take them to a shadier spot or a place where there is less light.

The second thing to consider is size. Generally speaking, large pearls are more valuable than small pearls, but this is not always true. Some small pearls are quite expensive.

Another thing to consider is the surface of the pearl. Pearls that have a marred surface, have ridges or rings, splotches, etc are not as valuable as pearls with a perfect surface. But to tell you the truth, pearls with a perfect surface are not easy to come by, and when you do find them they can be expensive. So depending on how much you want to spend, you may or may not want to compromise a bit in this area. Some people really like rings or ridges in pearls. I personally kind of like them but don't go out of my way to buy them. For some pearl shapes, smoothness of the surface is not important, such as in keishi, baroque and nugget pearls.

Shape is important, but is also a matter of personal preference. Perfectly round freshwater pearls can be very hard to come by, but some people want perfectly round pearls. Generally speaking round pearls are more expensive than, say, rice pearls. I personally would never reject a pearl because it isn't round.

If you're buying a strand of pearls, relative uniformity of size, shape and color are important. Again, depending on how much money you want to spend, you may want to compromise a bit in this area. There are pearl shapes for which uniformity of shape does not apply. Among those are baroque, nugget and keishi pearls. With these pearls the irregular shape is a plus.

Pearls naturally come in many colors, but when you see a strand of bright red pearls, or bronze pearls and other bright, intense colors, chances are they've been color treated. I try not to use color treated gemstones, but with pearls I make an exception. Many artificially colored pearls are irresistibly beautiful. I once spoke with a pearl dealer and asked him how colored pearls are treated. He said he asked his supplier this question and the supplier refused to tell him. Apparently it's a well guarded secret.

Special shaped pearls, such as coin pearls, diamond shape pearls, square pearls are generally considerably more expensive than other shapes. Still, look for good color, a relatively unmarred surface, and sufficient nacre. Sometimes the nacre goes over the side of the shapes. For some people this is a plus, for others it's undesirable. It's a matter of personal preference. Sometimes a big glob of nacre is desirable.

Keshi pearls are my favorite. They are naturally occurring, meaning the mollusk does not have to be coaxed to produce them, and they are pure nacre. Keishi pearls occur in all sorts of shapes - nuggets, petal shapes, weird oddball shapes, cornflake shapes. The surface of keishi pearls is naturally bumpy and gnarly - and they are always shiny - or they just aren't keishi pearls.

I love pearls for their natural beauty and their versatility. They can go with jeans or formal wear. And as with everything, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As with any art form - and I consider pearls to be natural art - what is the most valuable is what you love and not what has the highest price tag.