Savvy Black Pearl Buyers Find Value in Unusual Shapes

When Buying Pearls, Going Baroque is Like Money in the Bank

At first glance pearls and chicken wings don’t have much in common.  But stay with me.  I love chicken wings.  You can get me anywhere with a platter of hot wings and a pint of cold beer.  But wings are more than just a fine finger lickin’ way for me to watch the Red Sox.  If the essence of cool is the ability to turn a dime into a dollar then wings — and soul food in general –  are just about the coolest food in America.  Black southern chefs have been performing culinary alchemy on cheap, neglected cuts of meat like chicken wings, ribs, and pigs feet for centuries.  When Buffalo style wings were invented in the 60′s the lowly wing graduated from stock pot fodder to king of the tap room and it’s place in culinary history was complete.  All the wing needed was a little love and attention.

Which brings us back to pearls.  There are six primary value factors that influence the price of a pearl: luster/orient, nacre thickness, complexion, color, size and shape.  Historically speaking, round pearls have always received the most love and attention.  And coveted pearls are expensive pearls.

When Tahitian pearls are cultured only about 3% of implanted oysters produce a gem quality pearl.  Of that yield only 1 in 6 will be round.  Hence, while the greatest demand is for full round Tahitian and South Sea pearls the greatest supply is in other shapes.  Indeed, the production of pearls in off round, drops, circles and other baroque shapes is five times greater than the output of full rounds.  Hence, all other value factors being equal, the buyer who wants fine quality Black pearls but is willing to compromise on shape will find that the world is truly their oyster.  If you are willing to consider Tahitian pearls in baroque shapes you can get a lot more pearl for your dollar.

Unusual shaped pearls are now capturing the attention of  a greater number of pearl shoppers.  And with good reason.  For many – me included – the baroque and organic shapes have more personality and allure than their more perfect siblings.  Their beauty is revealed in their imperfections which bear witness to the watery wombs from whence they come.  The curves, colors and blemishes reveal the acts of natural creation that gives rise to each pearl.  Like snowflakes and fingerprints no two pearls are alike.  But while a strand of round Tahitian pearls well matched for color can mask this fact, a multicolor strand of baroque circlets celebrates it.  At a fraction of the cost.

Shape, then, is the one thing you need to know about to get a truly great deal on Tahitian Black pearls.  Look at some unusual shapes.  You might find these cheaper, often neglected pearls are as satisfying as the once lowly chicken wing.

At Seabourn Pearls we have a special interest in pearls in unusual shapes.  We think they’re divine.  Contact us today or visit our gallery and learn why we say “these are not your grandmother’s pearls.”  Seabourn Pearls.  Way cool jewels for original women.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 31st, 2011 at 11:39 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.