Frequently Asked Questions
                              of The Pearl Market

Frequently Asked Questions

These are some of the questions we are asked often. If you can't find the answer to your question here please email us at The Pearl Market and we'll do our best to help.

There's a lot more about pearls in our Beginner's Guide to Choosing Pearls

Where do your pearls come from ?

From China. We personally select our pearls from the pearl farms there. In the last decade the Chinese have made huge advances in pearl production and Chinese freshwater and seawater pearls can now compete for quality and appearance with the best in the world.

How do you make your products ?

Everything is made by hand using traditional techniques and materials. All our necklaces and bracelets are strung on silk thread and all clasps, pendant, and earring fittings are gold or silver.

Some of your necklaces look the same but there's a big difference in price. Why ?

This is because the difference between them is not apparent on a computer screen or in a product brochure.

For example, a Grade AA white necklace may look similar to an 'off-round' white necklace but the lustre, matching and shapes are different.

This doesn't mean the off-rounds are a bad pearl - just that they are not of the same quality and therefore are not as expensive.

How do you grade pearls ?

This can be quite confusing because there is no standard for grading pearls and 'grade' is not always the same as 'value'.

For example, many of our non-round pearls are of Grade A or AA quality in terms of lustre and lack of blemishes but their size or shape makes them relatively inexpensive.

Pearl farms use different criteria for grading so one farm's A's may be another's B's although the pearls are identical. This makes comparisons between different suppliers very difficult unless you have the pearls in your hand.

To avoid too much confusion we don't grade pearls on our web site except for 'rounds' which we classify as AAA, AA or A. All are fine pearls but the AAA's are that bit better in terms of shape, blemish and lustre.

You sometimes quote pearl sizes like 5mm-5.5mm. What does this mean ?

Pearls are measured in millimetres through their round diameter. On some necklaces, like our Grade AAA, AA and A 'rounds' you should expect the pearls to be close to this measurement.

On other necklaces like the off-round, oval and button, there will be more variation between individual pearls on the strand. This is part of their attraction and makes them less expensive.

Why shouldn't I get my necklace or bracelet wet ?

It's not the pearls you need worry about - they've come from living in water. It's the silk thread. If you get this wet and pull it, it can stretch.

This isn't a calamity. Pearls can always be restrung. In fact, if you wear your pearls regularly they will need restringing periodically.

What do I look for when buying pearls ?

Lustre, shape, blemishes, size and colour. For more details see our Beginner's Guide to Choosing Pearls.

What if I don't like the product when I get it ?

We hope you do but we also appreciate that what you see on a screen or in a brochure may look a bit different when in your hands. We have a no-quibble refund or replacement policy.

Why is your jewellery less expensive than similar products in high-street shops ?

For several reasons. First, we buy directly from the pearl farms at the best possible prices. We don't have expensive retail outlets and we keep our costs as low as possible without compromising on quality.

We want to make good pearls accessible to everyone so they must be affordable.

How do you ensure quality ?

We make everything here in West Wales and check every product before it is despatched to the customer.

Before we turn strands of pearls into products we remove any pearls that don't match the quality of the rest of the strand.For example, these are pearls that we have removed from a strand of 8mm grade AAs.

From the left: Blemish; Size; Shape; Size and Lustre

Finally, if something does go wrong, we offer a guarantee of a repair or replacement.

Why do you knot pearl necklaces ?

More expensive necklaces (like round 7mm and 8mm) are knotted between each pearl. This is traditional and improves the appearance.

Knotting also stops the pearls rubbing together and, if you have an accident and break the strand, it means you won't have expensive pearls rolling all over the place.

Smaller, different shaped pearls (like oval and button) would look odd if knotted between each pearl. We put a small knot in every 5 or 10 pearls just in case of an accident.

Seawater and Freshwater. What's the difference ?

Seawater oysters have a small round shell bead inserted to stimulate nacre production (the substance that creates the pearl). This helps produce the classic round pearl shape.

Beware seawater pearls that have been harvested too early. If the nacre coating is too thin it will quickly wear away. Credible suppliers ensure their pearls have good nacre layers.

Freshwater mussels have a small piece of 'mantle tissue' (nacre producing tissue from another mussel) inserted to stimulate pearl production. Freshwater pearls are solid pearl.

How can I tell an imitation (man-made) pearl ?

Good imitations are quite hard to spot. One way is the 'tooth test'. Gently rub the pearl under the cutting edge of your top front teeth. Don't bite it. A real pearl should feel slightly gritty due to it's crystaline structure. An imitation pearl will feel smooth.

However, this is not an infallible test. Some real pearls will feel smooth and some imitations gritty.

Another way is to rub the strand briskly together over a black cloth. Real pearls will release a fine dust. This isn't recommended as you are wearing away the pearls.

Can I tell the difference between a 'wild' pearl and a cultured or cultivated pearl ?

Not without an X-ray machine and even this might not tell you. Due to overfishing and  pollution truly wild pearls are rare.