Did you know that most pearls used to come from saltwater molluscs? Freshwater pearls were rarer and less suitable for items of jewellery. For one thing they’re less round and they don’t have as high a lustre as certain types of saltwater pearls. With the advent of cultured pearls however, freshwater pearls have found a new lease of life. Their odd shapes and colours are increasingly popular because jewellery design allows for more variety than ever before.

Saltwater pearls are cultured differently to freshwater pearls. You may know that pearls are formed when a foreign object is inserted into the pearl, for example a bead. Nacre grows around the bead to form a pearl. In freshwater pearls instead of a bead, a small piece of tissue is inserted instead and the nacre grows around this. The tissue isn’t round and therefore the resulting bead is an irregular shape.

Even though freshwater pearls are irregular that doesn’t mean they’re of a lower quality. Because they’re completely made of nacre and don’t have a bead in the middle, they are actually very durable.

There’s no set way of grading pearls although many retailers use a common system. To a large extent it comes down to personal taste. You may prefer your jewellery in a classic design with round or teardrop shaped white pearls, or you may prefer a necklace made of irregular and multi-coloured pearls. The choice is endless and because there are so many different varieties of pearls, you’re sure to find something you like.

With the advent of ‘cultured pearls’, people sometimes think that pearl colour can be dictated in the production process. The word ‘cultured’ is actually quite misleading and suggests a large human influence - in reality pearls still have to be produced by oysters and the colour of the pearl depends very much on the type of the oyster.

Different oysters produce differently-coloured pearls. The most common type of oyster produces white pearls - this is why white pearls are the most common and therefore affordable. Black pearl oysters are rarer - they form pearls in exactly the same way but because there are less of them, black pearls are not as common. Some types of oyster produce silver, pink or even gold pearls and the cost of these depends entirely on the rarity of the oyster.

We have a fantastic selection of black pearl earrings in 18 carat white gold to really show off the lustre of the gemstone. Each pair of earrings comes gift-boxed with free UK delivery.

Pearls are organic gemstones, meaning they’re produced by a living creature (as opposed to inorganic stones like rubies and diamonds). Because of this they are more fragile than other stones and need more care and attention. If looked after properly however pearls will remain beautiful for generations. There are just a few golden rules to follow:

Put pearls on last and take them off first

Pearls can be damaged by make-up, perfume and other substances, so when you’re getting ready for an evening out be sure to put your pearls on last. This will minimise their exposure to harmful chemicals.

Don’t wear pearls for sport

Similarly you shouldn’t expose your pearls to chlorinated water or even body sweat as these can eat through the delicate layers of nacre. We’re sure you’ll keep your necklace for special occasions, but even so it’s worth warning not to wear your pearls when playing sport!

Clean pearls with a damp cloth

Pearls shouldn’t be exposed to any cleaning solutions, but you should gently wipe them after you wear them. This will remove any traces of perfume, sweat etc that can damage them over time.

Store pearls in a soft box

Because pearls are relatively fragile they can be damaged by rubbing against the rest of your jewellery. To prevent this always store your pearls in their own padded bag or box. Don’t shut them away however – pearls actually need a little moisture in the atmosphere so airtight boxes are to be avoided, as is direct sunlight!

Re-string them every year

All of our pearls are strung on silk and over time this can become stretched and discoloured. Depending on how often you wear them, you’ll need to have your pearls re-strung every so often. This means your necklace will always look fantastic and you’ll never have to worry about it breaking.

Now that you know how to look after your pearls, take a look at our gorgeous collection of pearl jewellery - the perfect gift for any special occasion.