What Do I Look For When Buying A Pearl?
It is a combination of five “virtues” that should be looked for when buying a pearl: lustre, size, shape, colour and surface.

The lustre of the pearl is what gives the pearl its iridescence and its depth. Lustre is created by nacre, and varies with the fineness of the nacre. It is one of the most important factors to take into consideration when buying a pearl. The lustre of a pearl should always be bright, never dull. Without lustre it does not matter how big or how perfect its shape or what its colour is - it is the lustre that makes a pearl a gem quality pearl. White South Sea pearls have a thick, creamy nacre and are noted for their rich, silky lustre.

The shape of the pearl is also important. Perfect round and teardrop shapes are extremely rare and therefore highly sought after; this does not mean that other shapes do not have their own unique charm and value. Baroque pearls, for instance, are one of the most popular shapes because of their uniqueness, size and casual character. White South Sea pearls come in many shapes including round, semi-round, circle, oval, baroque, drop and many variations, each one unique.