Pearl Buying Guide

In this handbook on purchasing pearls, gemologist Newman defies any hope of elegant prose and dives right in. Her first chapter begins, "The following factors can affect the price of pearls: Luster, Surface Quality, Shape, Color, Size, Nacre (pearl coating) thickness and quality, Matching, Treatment status (untreated or treated), Pearl type (saltwater/freshwater, natural/cultured, whole/ blister)." She takes potential buyers and collectors through the ins and outs of the pearl world, and her guide will best serve those looking to make a considerable investment. She explains why buyers might favor one pearl type over another and how to shop for pearls. A chapter on versatile ways to wear a strand of pearls offers looks reminiscent of 1920s flappers, Jackie Kennedy and Vegas showgirls.

Pearls

This book is one of a series of books about gems written by Fred Ward, a noted gemologist. This book contains spectacular color photography covering historic pearl jewelry and many pictures showing how pearls are cultured. It has chapters on Natural Pearls, Cultured Saltwater Pearls and Cultured Freshwater Pearls, and explains how to buy and care for pearls. If you can buy only one book about pearls, this is the book to buy.

 

The Pearl Book

This comprehensive guide has interviews with the world's leading authorities on pearls, who offer "insider" insights and advice. The book has chapters on the history and romance surrounding pearls, differences between natural, cultured, and imitation pearls, and ways to separate them, the 5 factors that determine pearl value, how to judge pearl quality, how to wear and care for pearls, and a pearl glossary. A good buying guide for the retail buyer.

 

Pearls: A Natural History

From Leonardo da Vinci's recipe for imitation pearls to the derring-do of deep-sea pearl divers, Pearls: A Natural History delves into virtually every aspect of the gemstones that have been prized since ancient times for their luster and purity. Key topics include different species of marine and freshwater mollusks, the history of perliculture and ecological issues affecting pearl production. The more than 200 photographs include reproductions of spectacular objects ranging from a 16th-century Russian icon of the Madonna and child encrusted in freshwater pearls to an early-20th-century brooch in which lozenge-shaped Mississippi River pearls create the opulent blossoms of a diamond-stemmed flower. Solid information, intriguing trivia, and inviting design give this book a broad appeal.