Traditionally, the standard for pearl jewelry has been to use white or near-white cultured pearls, freshwater pearls, or natural pearls that are perfectly round. The white, round beauties have been treasured because, in the world of pearl jewelry, they are rare. Increasingly, however, women are appreciating the uniqueness and versatility of pearls in a variety of shapes and colors – just as nature makes them. If you’ve always thought of pearls as white and round, it’s time to think again.

Pearl Shapes

Round – Traditional round cultured pearls are often used for pearl bridal jewelry, the traditional pearl necklace, and other cultured pearl jewelry, like pearl stud earrings.

Rice – Rice pearls are small and shaped irregularly, and have crinkled surfaces.

Potato – As its name implies, potato-shaped cultured pearls have irregular oblong shapes.

Oval – Shaped like an egg, these saltwater or freshwater pearls are usually white.

Mabe – This pearl is flat on one side, giving it a dome shape.

Keshi – Also known as poppy seed pearls, these are tiny freshwater pearls.

Button – This round freshwater pearl is flat on one side.

Coin – Like the button pearl, except it is flat on both sides.

Baroque – These freshwater pearls are completely free form, having no pre-determined shape.

Circle – Also called the ring pearl, this saltwater pearl has concave, concentric lines.

Pearl Colors

Freshwater pearls, which are often used for fashion pearl jewelry, grow in virtually every color of the rainbow. They are an affordable – though no less beautiful – alternative to traditional white, round saltwater Akoya pearls. Black Tahitian pearls, which are also saltwater cultured pearls, have overtones of peacock and silver and are most often have semi-round, baroque, and circle shapes.

Pearl Fashion Jewelry – What’s Hot Now

Freshwater pearl jewelry offers women an incredible variety of accessory options. This season, look for multi-strand keshi (seed) pearl necklaces that combine different colored pearls, such as pink, peach, hazel, and brown for a stunning fashion statement. For formal occasions, multi-strand necklaces featuring a single color of keshi pearls – such as gray or black – are the perfect accessories.

Black Tahitian pearl bracelets and shimmering oval freshwater pearl bracelets are adorning the wrists of fashionistas this season, while brides are selecting classic Akoya pearl stud earrings as well as fashion forward freshwater pearl wedding jewelry that incorporates light pink or golden pearls.

The next time you treat yourself – or someone special – to the gift of pearl jewelry, remember that the beauty of pearls comes in many shapes and colors.

A layman would say that you should spend two month’s salary on buying an engagement ring. But, the confusion is from where & how to start? Buying an engagement ring is a piece of cake; buying a good one is a little trickier.

A diamond engagement ring could be one of the biggest purchases you’ve ever made. It is both a financial and an emotional investment for the lifetime. It doesn’t stand as a symbol of your undying love only– it will also tell her that you care enough to choose only the best. And we know how hard a decision it can be.

This is where we can help…

To get her to pick the ring of her choice would be the easiest way but, will you want to miss the pleasure of surprising her? Just recall if she ever shared her preferences regarding style of the ring or type of diamond with you. If not, a short tutorial is here to help you. With this, you’re sure to find a perfect ring that she will like.

The diamond plays the most significant role in a diamond engagement ring. So its always advisable to have some education before you look at your diamond. A diamond’s value is determined by four factors called it’s 4Cs. (Cut, Carat, Color & Clarity)

Cut – Cut determines brilliance of a diamond. Each diamond shape has its own set of guidelines for what makes a Premium or Good cut. The most popular and commonly preferred shape for diamonds is the round brilliant cut. A traditional woman will always like this shape. Another much loved shape is the princess-cut or square. It best fits those modern women who want a blend of class & style.

Carat – It is the measurement of a diamond’s weight. Each Carat is divided into 100 parts called ‘points.’ A 1 carat diamond has 100 points, a ½ carat diamond has 50 points so on. Although 1 carat diamond is a popular choice but you can always go for bigger diamonds of 2 or 3 carats, depending upon your budget.

Color & Clarity – the less color a diamond has, the more valuable it is, other factors being equal. There is diamond color grading system which uses alphabets from D through M. Diamonds with a color grade of D, E or F are most colorless; G, H, and I are near colorless. Picking a diamond from the color grade of G, H, I is a good idea as it looks white and beautiful to a naked eye & has a good value.

Clarity refers to how much clear a diamond is internally. The fewer and less obvious the inclusions, the more valuable the diamond. There is a clarity grading scale; F-IF (flawless), VVS1-VVS2 (very-very slight inclusions), VS1-VS2, SI1-SI2 & so on. I recommend that you select an “eye-clean” diamond – where inclusions are not visible to the naked eye. But if you’d rather not compromise on color but would like to stay on budget, go for SI1-SI2 clarity. If you want better clarity yet budget conscious, choose a diamond with H or I color.

Finally, decide upon the type of metal you want your diamond to hold in. Gold has always been a desired metal, but platinum is getting popularity these days. It’s purity, beauty & luster perfectly compliment diamonds and it’s durability & strength ensures that your engagement ring will last a lifetime. As I told earlier that gold is the most popular option and is available in 14K & 18K and in both yellow & white colors. If you want the look & beauty of platinum while staying in budget, go for 14K white gold.