Pearls are naturally created when foreign particles enter oyster shells. The oysters produce a calcium-type substance around the foreigner and this substance coats the particle in thin concentric layers, creating a pearl. Naturally formed pears are rarely symmetrical or well shaped enough to be used as jewelry. As such, pearls are generally cultured and grown so that their shape and size can be regulated.

If you want to know how to choose the right kind of pearl earrings for the right occasion, then you should equip yourself with knowledge on how to judge a pearl’s standard. From the color, the overtone, the size and shape to a pearl’s luster and surface quality, pearls can vary from the inexpensive to the extremely rare and valuable.

When choosing the right pearl earrings for the right occasion, it is also important to determine your budget as pearls that have greater luster or have more reflective surfaces are more highly prized. The smoothness of a pearl’s surface is also a qualifying factor in judging its quality. From cream, champagne, pink, gold, blue and even black, choosing the right pearl earrings will depend on the occasion you intend to wear them to.

A pearl, unlike other gemstones, is delicate and can easily be cracked and scratched by other gems. Substances such as sweat, perfume and the like can affect its soft, porous covering. Taking good care of your pearl earrings involve wiping them down with a soft damp cloth and wearing them only after you’ve put on your makeup and your perfume.

Earrings worn as accessories are designed to draw attention to the face and should be carefully chosen to flatter your features, depending on the shape of your specific face. Learning how to choose the right pearl earrings for the right occasion begins with determining your face shape.

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Best Jewelry Box Ever Designed

Over the course of thousands of years of history, hearkening back to the most ancient of civilizations, jewelry artifacts have been found and have served to illuminate many aspects of daily life in these former times. The pieces of valuable jewelry worn by a culture can provide information about the lifestyles and priorities of the people. In a similar way, the jewelry boxes of those same time periods can offer additional clues and insights into the owners of the jewelry.

In fact, it is fair to declare that the history and the significance of the intricate jewelry boxes date back for as many centuries as the pieces of jewelry. Especially in ancient cultures, fine jewelry was revered and was often used to display the position and the power of a particular person or family. In addition, fashion jewelry and embellished items, such as various gemstone and diamond jewelry pieces have always been, as they are today, outward expressions of wealth.

In this way, the jewelry boxes from different eras are also able to reveal a great deal of additional information about the culture and the people. Since precious metals have always been scarce and the refining process more challenging in some eras, fine jewelry was always carefully taken care of and stored in jewelry boxes that protected the pieces.

Historically, jewelry boxes were specially designed and hand-crafted items created by skilled craftsmen. In fact, in some instances, the same artisans responsible for the wonderful fine jewelry that was being made also put their talents to work to build beautiful jewelry boxes. In this way, their works of jewelry art would be housed in proper vessels that would do justice and honor to their craft.

Many of the traditions of fine workmanship that went into jewelry boxes of yesteryear are still quite alive and well today. Just as one can find an enormous selection of fine jewelry, from simple costume jewelry to highly embellished fashion jewelry, there is also a wide array of jewelry boxes to carefully store the precious items that people collect.

Since so many people do collect a significant number of jewelry pieces over the years, often jewelry boxes that once provided adequate space are replaced with a larger container. Some people simply buy another jewelry box or two, while others decide to go with grander options. One of the common items seen nowadays, which is an offshoot of the basic jewelry box, is a jewelry armoire.

The jewelry armoires are really more of a piece of furniture than the standard jewelry boxes that are common in many homes. They can range in height from about three feet to about six feet. They typically feature swinging doors on the front which reveal many specially designed nooks, crooks and crannies for storing different types of fine jewelry, such as diamond rings, silver jewelry, gold jewelry and watches.

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The cultured pearl was born out of Japan during the 1900’s as the result of many years of conducting trials and tests by three Japanese men: Nishikawa Mikimoto, Tatsuhei Mise and Tokishi Nishikawa. Experimenting independently on various nucleation methods with the Pinctada martensii oyster (the indigenous saltwater oyster that produces Akoya pearls) the researchers each discovered the surgical nucleation techniques that will force the oyster to create a pearl- this is the same technique used to this very day by nucleation technicians worldwide, known as the Nise-Mishekawa method. However, Mikimoto was the person who intuitively used his business proess to gain worldwide attention and has made a worldwide brand based off of his name.

For almost a century the Japanese maintained a monopoly on the Akoya pearl trade, guarding their cultivation and processing techniques jealously. These people have been revered for being the big players in pearls; the Japanese pearls are known to be the top pearls to be found. Growth times for the pearls (the amount of time that the oyster was allowed to secrete nacre over the nucleus) were approximately 3-5 years per pearl, ensuring thick, lustrous nacre layers that gave the pearls their renowned glow and shine. Due to this, the pearls are much more likely to withstand elements that may cause damage to the nacre such as sweat and perfumes.

However, as with any monopoly, it would not last forever. In order to satisfy a growing demand for their wonderful pearls- which had quickly staked their place as a staple of every woman’s wardrobe throughout the 1940’s and 50’s- the Japanese began cutting their growth times in order to accommodate the burgeoning market’s requirements, and quality began to suffer. Also, pollution and disease wreaked havoc and played a large part in the decline of Japanese pearl quality. With an eye toward the future, the Japanese have begun to culture larger pearls measuring over 8.0mm almost exclusively, focusing their efforts on maintaining their position as a leader, and the best source for gem-quality cultured pearls today.

China began culturing Akoya pearls as well starting in the 1960’s, although quality was acknowledged to be quite inferior to that of their Japanese neighbors. However, over the years the Chinese have rapidly gained ground in terms of quality and market share in an industry that was considered to be unshakeable. Concentrating their efforts on perfecting the smaller pearl sizes of 4.0mm to 8.0mm- as they have not yet mastered culturing the larger sizes that Japan is renowned for.  Utilizing their vastly cheaper production costs than that of Japan, and adopting a wiser, more long-term approach in terms of pearl quality and reputation, China has proved that it is a force to be reckoned with in the pearling world.

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diamond jewelry

We live in a time when proudly displaying the jewelry that you own tells people a lot about your fashion and style sense. Making sure that you have diamond earrings included in your sophisticated or fashion jewelry collection is simply a basic essential. Even if you are covered with loads of dazzling and attention-calling diamond jewelry, omitting the ear adornments and leaving them naked is a fashion misstep in many circles.

It can also be said that making an investment in diamond earrings is not only a wise and insightful business transaction, but it is also very much of an emotional decision, as would be true of any type of purchase of diamond jewelry, whether it be a white diamond, a blue diamond or a black diamond. In fact, it is fair to say that most people first regard the emotional, sentimental and even romantic aspects ahead of the cost of investing in fine jewelry.

For many people, diamond earrings are the first item of fine diamond jewelry that they ever own. Often these sparkling ear enhancers are given as gifts. Other times, they are personal indulgences purchased for him or her self.

Because jewelry for the ears can make a huge impression, they are a perpetual favorite. And, because they don’t need to be large to get attention and to make a statement, they are often the most affordable of all precious stone jewelry pieces, whether set in yellow gold, white gold, platinum or silver.

One reason why diamond earrings get so much attention, even if they are the tiniest of stones, is because of their placement near the face. Since most people communicate by looking at each other, it is more likely that even a stranger will notice the sparkling ear jewelry that can be taken in with an easy gaze. It is not quite the same in the case of other jewelry items, such as a diamond ring or other items of jewelry and watches. To discreetly draw attention to these baubles may be more difficult.

One of the most important factors in choosing just the right pair of diamond ear adornments is the size, which of course has a great deal of bearing on the price of the set as well. In general, it is advised to purchase the largest size stone that will easily fit within your budget. But if the budget is small, then this should not be discouraging. Even the smallest of diamonds can make a statement of taste, elegance and style.

If you can afford to purchase a pair of diamond earrings larger than a shimmering fleck, then you will need to also decide upon the shape of the stone. The most seen and most basic of gemstone shapes is the simple round radiant. Other standard cuts of gemstones are the emerald, the pear, the heart and the baguette.

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Seldom a perfect diamond would be found, and of course it would not just be used in any simple piece of jewelry but either put away in a museum or kept aside for an extremely lucrative purchase for the wealthy. Such a diamond would never be used in a princess cut diamond earring as it would surely spoil the worth and quality of the stone.
 
Simple By Design
 
With all the jewelry in the world on you the simplest designs are still the most attractive, so the concept of the single square or rectangle shaped diamond, otherwise called the princess cut diamond earring, ring, bracelet was by far the best designs created.
 
It is still essential to know that even from the plain princess cut diamond earring to the most profligate design cut stone knowledge is crucial when starting your collection of rare stones.

All rare stones are exorbitantly overpriced at any jewelry store due to replacing them while they are being prepared for a special gift or for your request – in case of damage caused. Yes, it does happen, but only diamonds can damage diamonds, the rest are more easily damaged. 

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Buying Diamond Stud Earrings

Whenever buying any diamond jewelry, knowing about 4 Cs will help you make a better choice. Carat is the weight of the diamond, and is the first factor to look for. It is the best way to determine the diamond size for your diamond stud earrings. A person’s budget and need matters for the size of the diamond. If you travel frequently, choose the moderate size diamonds, but if you plan to wear the diamond stud earrings for formal occasions, you can buy a moderate size diamond for your studs.
 
Color and clarity are two important factors that determine the price of the diamond stud earrings. If you have a budget constraint, choose the diamonds that have slightly lower clarity and color. It is advisable to compromise a little on the quality of the diamond, but opt for the bigger size. All diamonds offer sparkle, and modern inclusions and color are not easily noticeable. If you plan to get the diamond stud earrings made, good size diamond will add to the beauty.

Cut of the diamond is another factor that should not be ignored. Cut brings beauty and life into the diamond, and depth, width, size, roundness and position of the facets determine its brilliance. Three prongs is a modern design as compared to traditional four prong design, and as it has less metal on the sides and top, the obstruction to the beauty of diamond is less.

Once you have bought yourself a pair of diamond stud earrings, it requires meticulous care and attention. If you already have a diamond nose stud or pendant, choose the earrings that match the design and color of diamond in them. The style and design of the earrings can also be chosen as per wearer’s face cut and skin tone.

If you are very particular about the quality of diamonds, buy them loose as it is easier to notice the cut, color, carat and clarity. There is no difficulty in inspecting diamonds from all the sides before it’s setting. If you want to save some money on the diamond stud earrings, try shopping at the wholesale jewelry shopor the discount stores. You can also get a good deal on online purchase. Confirm that the diamonds are certified by GIA before purchasing them from a reputable dealer.

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Nothing is static in today’s society and it remains to be seen how body decoration will develop in the future years, but presently it is the ears which attract most attention for accessorising. We express ourselves, our moods, our attitudes through the jewellery we affix to our ears. Of all the earring choices, we buy pearl earrings for their timeless beauty and their ability to make our skin look natural and glowing.

Earrings have been around forever, or so it seems. But did you know that the oldest earrings known to man are Lunate earrings. The Lunate earrings were excavated in Ur in Mesopotamia, which is now Iraq. These earrings are gold crescent shaped hoops and are a staggering 4500 years old. Earrings have come a long way since then, of course. For a start, the developed worlds don’t use bone anymore, which was a common choice all those years ago, but we do still use gold which has transcended many jewellery boundaries and remains a popular choice today.

The popularity of earrings rose and fell throughout the ages in direct relation to hairstyles. If you do your history research you will find that it was the Middle Ages when people really stopped wearing earrings as much. The reason for this is simple – married women with their heads uncovered in a public environment were frowned upon. However, by the time the mid 1500s had arrived, earrings had a made a comeback since women were allowed to wear their hair up and show their ears. Earrings resurged and continued to gain popularity for years later, where pearls became a middle-class desirable option.

In today’s modern generation, there are millions of different earrings styles that many different women choose to wear in order to express themselves. We wear drop earrings of all sorts with hoops and posts, made from all kinds of materials including silver and gold and seashells, pearls and gems and glass beads. Earrings are art and women can flaunt their sassy styles when wearing them. Despite all the different types of earrings, it is pearl earrings that are the most popular choice.

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