Buying pearl earrings isn't merely about finding the most expensive item on sale. You could pay an exorbitant amount of money for a pair for pearl earrings and still end up with one that your loved one doesn't find attractive at all. Buying pearl earrings is an art, and it will take time before you can perfect it.

Tips for Buying and Selecting Pearl Earrings

Design
Earrings come in various styles or designs, and it's also the basis of most people's first impressions. The design of pearl earrings is what catches other people's attention, and it's only after they notice the design that they move on to judging its other characteristics.

When considering the design of pearl earrings, you should focus on the following factors:
Clasps If you're not sure of whether your recipient's ears are pierced or not, the safer choice is buying a pair of pearl earrings that makes use of clasps or fasteners instead of pearl earrings that you have to slide into your ears' piercing.

Style Pearl earrings can be simple pearl studs, a strand of pearls, or placed in a chandelier setting. It can also be deliberately styled to imitate flowers, hearts, and other shapes.

Length If you are giving a pair of pearl earrings to babies, toddlers, or children, make sure that you stay away from pearl earrings of considerable length because this is more of a nuisance to them than anything else. It can also be hazardous for babies, especially when they accidentally manage to tear it off from their ears.

Other Gems Pearl earrings don't necessarily have to feature pearls alone. It can also be used alongside other precious and semi-precious gems. Make sure of course that the combination of pearls and gems are tasteful and appealing.

How Many Pearls
Again, pearl earrings don't have to contain a single of pearl alone. The more pearls your pearl earrings have, the higher its value naturally. If you're going for a single pearl earring, it might be better to choose one of a larger size than usual to make it noticeable. Most pearl earrings also have three or five pearls in them as these can easily form a triangular or star-shaped design respectively.

Size
Size always matters in jewelries and pearls are no exception. Of course, taste and appeal tend to diminish as the size increases so make sure that you don't choose pearl earrings that make use of ostentatiously huge pearls. If you're in a budget, pearl earrings may still be within your budget just as long as you're okay with small-sized pearls.

Color
Most people are used to seeing white to peach colored pearl earrings never knowing that there is a rainbow of colors that other pearls possess. Depending on the origin of the pearls, you can expect them to also appear in black, pink, blue, green, yellow, and even gold!

Grade
There is truly no globally recognized grading system used to classify pearls. There are however a few standard sets which you can use to compare your pearls with others. If your pearl earrings have been appraised by such bodies and yielded positive results, expect its price to go up.

Name
If you have the budget for it, you should consider purchasing pearl earrings designed by famous fashion houses.

Origin
The place where the pearls have been harvested affects the price of pearl earrings. Natural pearls are the most expensive of all types of pearls and they are pearls which have been harvested centuries ago. Naturally harvested pearls are more expensive than cultured ones. The least expensive of all are artificial or synthetic pearls.

Price
Lastly, there's the price. Don't be tempted to go overboard and purchase pearl earrings that are way beyond your budget. If you look long and hard enough, you're sure to find a pair of pearl earrings that perfectly matches your budget and taste.

If you need to buy pearl earrings soon and you don't fully trust your judgment yet, consider asking the advice of a professional. Of course, make sure that you take their words with a grain of salt since they might not be able to help but sell you only the most expensive in hopes of making a higher profit.