loose pearl

Most pearl beads are strung and one can buy them in strands where they are graduated or having a uniform bead measurement. Loose pearls are available for your specific need for fashion and jewelry. They could be half-drilled, dark to classic colors and small to medium-sized. Although the round pearls are more valuable for jewelry, other shapes of pearls are a welcome commodity for their uniqueness especially when used in fashion. Recently, more shapes have been added to the basic shapes of pearls.

There are loose pearls that actually have a leaf shape. A square pearl, a rectangle and even a cross-shaped pearl are also sold in pearl stores. Loose pearls that are sold in stores these days are mostly cultured freshwater pearl although the saltwater cultured Akoya pearls are also available at a much higher price than these freshwater pearls. Be wary of imitation pearls which could look exactly the same as cultured or natural pearls. The quality of a pearl can only be measured through an X-ray examination but a simple technique of testing the authenticity of a pearl can be used. Imitation pearls are smooth all through out when rubbed against the surface of one's front tooth while genuine pearls would tend to feel a little coarse.

how to select loose pearls

Drilled or Undrilled

When buying loose pearls you can specify if you would like your pearls drilled or undrilled. Undrilled pearls are sometimes called "keepsake pearls." Drilled pearls can be drilled all the way through the center of the pearl, drilled twice through, drilled through the side or drilled halfway through the pearl.

Color

Loose pearls come in both natural and processed colors. Natural colors are white, pink, mauve or black. Processed colors can be red, green, gold or brown, among others. Many loose pearl retailers will be able to process pearls in a specific shade for you.

Size

Pearls can come in multitudes of sizes and vary based on your needs. The smallest "seed" pearls are about one millimeter, while the larger pearls can measure 20 millimeters or more. The most popular size for loose pearl is around seven to 7.5 millimeters; anything over eight millimeters is considered to be high-end.