Anyone can afford to buy fashionable pearls

Not so long ago, a lot of people considered pearl jewelry to be a thing of the past, something that was to be found only about the necks of grandmothers and rich women with outdated fashion sense. But this attitude to pearls is changing fast. From the catwalk to the red carpet, Hollywood to the White House, classic pearls are making a comeback. It could be the current trend for retro fashion, or that a few of the most up to the minute fashion icons, including America’s First Lady, have taken their love for pearls public, but whatever has caused the trend pearls are definitely back with a vengeance.

Great news for anyone who was getting a little tired of so much ‘fake’ jewellery around at the moment and wishing they could go for a more classic look. But how can you be sure you’re getting the real thing and not just imitation pearls? And aren’t pearls a bit of an unnecessary expensive frivolity, especially when we’re in the middle of a recession? Well in fact, with so many varieties of cultured pearls available to buy, you can pick up a genuine pearl necklace for a really quite reasonable price. You just need to know what sort of pearls you are looking for.

Real celebrity-style big saltwater pearls like those that Michelle Obama is often seen in will be pricey, but there are many varieties of pearl which don’t need to break the bank. Natural pearls cost many times more than cultured pearls, as they are far rarer and more highly valued. Cultured freshwater pearls are usually the cheapest variety, they are much more common as they are grown in pearl farms and they come in the largest selection of sizes and colours. Saltwater pearls take a lot longer to grow, and are usually bigger and more regular in shape, and it is for this reason they are more sought after. It’s easy to tell real pearls from fake ones as the fakes rarely have the correct lustre or weight, and feel more smooth and shiny to the touch. Real pearls have a slightly rough feel to them, and it’s highly unusual to find perfectly round pearls, so if you find a cheap string of perfect ‘pearl’ spheres, check it out before buying it!