Pearl Engagement Rings
Pearl engagement rings are by no means traditional. The wild looking gems are, if you didn't know already, made from a small grain of sand that has gotten into an oyster.
Pearls are nowadays cultured and pretty available now due to the growing demand and 'oyster farms' where pearls are grown and gathered, instead of 'hunted' like they were in the centuries prior to the 20th century. Although pearl engagement rings are often of lesser cost than diamond rings, there is many more to pearl engagement rings than that, and that is what we'll be discussing in this article.
There are two types of pearls - saltwater and freshwater. As their names imply, saltwater pearls are grown in salty waters, but freshwater pearls are grown in water that contains few salts. Saltwater pearls are usually more expensive than freshwater pearls, particularly Tahitian and Japanese pearls are considered the most valuable.
Freshwater pearls are found all around the world, particularly in the U.S. where they sometimes are hunted. Naturally grown pearls are costlier than their cultured alternatives, but there isn't much difference between the two.
Pearls actually come in different shapes and colors. While white pearls are most common (and most often seen in the movies), there are pearls with a more imaginative color. Black, cream, gold, pink and blue pearls, are also found, but are oftentimes too expensive for the average customer.
Many pearls have different tones in them, for example a white pearl with a pink undertone and so on. Pearls come in a pretty vast assortment of shapes. Teardrop shaped pearls are exclusive and sought mainly for earrings, but some shapes can make for a pretty unique ring too.
When out for a pearl engagement ring, trust your eye. If there are blemishes on the pearl in the ring you like, there is a chance that they can be puffed away with merely a piece of water-soaked cloth. The pearl should have no cracks and should look uniform.
Don't forget to perform a tooth test on the pearl; a fake pearl will break, but a real one won't. Or, if you don't want to, just buy your pearls from a trustworthy jeweler - a thing which you should do anyway.
Overall, pearl rings not only show your to-be bride that she's as delicate as a pearl to you, but also are a natural counter the hard gemstones that often look metallic in other engagement rings.
For ideas on what sort of pearl engagement rings to purchase, you can either look at a homepage of a designer, or pay a visit to your local jeweler. Pearl rings are an unique breed of rings, which, while still honoring tradition, will make both your love and your engagement stand out from the crowd.