The prices of freshwater (FW) pearl jewelries vary widely. Therefore it is important to know which ones are worth buying. Of course it always depends on how attractive the actual piece is. But to get the best value from what you paid, here are a couple of things to note.

First of all, do NOT make your judgment based on the pearl grade the store tells you. There is no standard pearl grading system, and the most commonly used A-grading-system is mostly subjective.

In general, the 6 common factors to determine the value of pearls are: color, shape, size, luster, nacre thickness, and surface texture. Obviously a perfect pearl that meets all of those standards is very expensive and hard to find. In this guide we will discuss how to pick the best FW pearl jewelry within a reasonable budget.

1. Luster & surface texture are the most important aspect -- When looking at a pearl, check out the surface. Pearls with perfectly surface texture are very pricy. Therefore it is most economical to buy pearls with little non-damaging flaws and high luster. Non-damaging flaws include spots, bumps, pits, and wrinkles. Non-damaging surface marks can lower the price of the pearl, while they are barely visible. Damaging flaws include cracks, holes or chips. Those flaws may worsen and ruin the pearl, so stay away from them!

2. Size is always a big factor of pearl values. However for FW pearls, we would suggest you to only get those no larger than 8mm in diameter. This is because under today’s FW pearl growing techniques, 8mm is the largest high quality FW pearls that can be produced. Any FW pearls larger than that tend to have a lot of flaws and are not valuable.

3. Shape also determines the value of pearls. If the pearls are very round they are rare. And you can usually get a great deal if you buy some pretty FW pearls in “fun” shapes.

4. Lastly, color is important, too. White, black, and the fancy colors in the pink to violet to goldish range are usually natural and will typically stay that way. But when you see pearls in any strange colors like green or yellow then that’s definitely dyed. Pearls in natural color will keep their value, while value of dyed pearls will drop when their color fade.

Keep in mind that color: color, shape, size, luster, nacre thickness, and surface texture all affect pearl's price. Freshwater pearls are a good value, but you may sacrifice size and shape. As with all jewelry purchases comparison-shop and see how much different retailers are selling the same item. Research information on pearls to make sure you get the best value for your purchase.