cover image PEARL BUYING GUIDE: How to Evaluate, Identify and Select Pearls & Pearl Jewelry

PEARL BUYING GUIDE: How to Evaluate, Identify and Select Pearls & Pearl Jewelry

Renee Newman, . . International Jewelry Publications, $19.95 (156pp) ISBN 978-0-929975-35-1

In this handbook on purchasing pearls, gemologist Newman defies any hope of elegant prose and dives right in. Her first chapter begins, "The following factors can affect the price of pearls: Luster, Surface Quality, Shape, Color, Size, Nacre (pearl coating) thickness and quality, Matching, Treatment status (untreated or treated), Pearl type (saltwater/freshwater, natural/cultured, whole/ blister)." Assuming readers are novices, Newman explains how to appraise and distinguish among all varieties of pearls. She takes potential buyers and collectors through the ins and outs of the pearl world, and her guide will best serve those looking to make a considerable investment. She explains why buyers might favor one pearl type over another and how to shop for pearls (e.g., examine the strands on a flat white surface, look at the light reflections on the pearls, etc.). A chapter on versatile ways to wear a strand of pearls offers looks reminiscent of 1920s flappers, Jackie Kennedy and Vegas showgirls. Newman also shares a brief, "unconventional" account of the pearl throughout history, written from the point of view of "The Pearl Family" ("we pearls regret the discomfort we cause to [oysters and mussels] when they are alive"). Quizzes in the back of the book will allow readers to test their knowledge, and copious color photographs enhance the workmanlike text. (Apr.)