When cared for properly, pearls’ beauty can last a lifetime. The best way to care for pearls is to wear them often as the body natural oils keep pearls lustrous. However, it's important to keep them away from household chemicals including perfume, makeup and hairspray. Chemicals found in these common products can dull the luster of your pearls. It is recommended that you put your pearls on last when getting ready and make them the first thing you take off when you come home. Before putting your pearls away, wipe them with a soft cloth and store them separate from other jewelry to avoid scratching their tender surfaces.

Pearls produce an intense, deep shine called luster. This effect is created when light reflects off the many layers of tiny calcium carbonate crystals that compose the pearl. This substance is called nacre. When selecting a pearl, consider that the larger the pearl, the more nacre it has, so it will also exhibit even more luster. Compare a 5mm Freshwater cultured pearl with a 10mm South Sea cultured pearl and the difference in the amount of nacre is obvious. The difference in luster is as clearly visible as the difference in the pearl sizes.

As a mollusk creates a pearl, the layers of nacre do not always adhere smoothly. Sometimes spots and bubbles can appear in the layering process. Pearls with the smoothest surfaces are the highest-quality, most sought-after pearls. At Dragon's Pearl, to offer you a range of prices, we offer pearls with a range of surface qualities

At Dragon's Pearl, we offer the highest quality pearls of various shapes: round, slightly off-round, oval, teardrop and semi-baroque. Among the variety of pearls, Akoya, Tahitian black pearls and south sea pearls have a tendency to be the roundest, while freshwater pearls can be oval or slightly off-round.

The size of the pearl greatly depends on the type of pearl. Akoya pearls range in size from about 7mm, while Freshwater pearls range in size from about 8mm, South Sea and Tahitian pearls can reach sizes as large as 13mm.

The general color of a pearl is also called the body color. Typical pearl colors are white, cream, yellow, pink, silver, or black. A pearl can also have a hint of secondary color, or overtone, which is seen when light reflects off the pearl surface. For example, a pearl strand may appear white, but when examined more closely, a pink overtone may become apparent.