Pearls do not have the same characteristics and properties as gemstones but still they are regarded to be in the same category. Pearls themselves can be either natural or cultured, depending on the method in which the pearl was produced. Pearls have always been a favourite with all age groups and handmade freshwater pearls are becoming particularly popular for use as bridal jewellery.

Freshwater pearls have been popular as far back as Pocahontas’s time, where pearls were bestowed as gifts in the form of armlets, pendants and other items. Freshwater pearls that occur naturally are not often round in shape. They are something resembling a rounded shape but the jewels themselves can have rings around them. The one advantage of freshwater pearls is the many
colours that they can be found displaying. Jewellery manufactured from freshwater pearls is very popular due to the range available in white, silvery white, pink salmon, red, copper, bronze, brown, lavender, purple, green, blue, cream and yellow. Quite an impressive list!

Jewellery that uses white or cream colour pearls has become popular, but also jewellery that uses pinks and lavenders is also popular due to its diversity of colour. It is also possible to get cultured pearls in all of the above colour range. Baroque shaped freshwater pearls are becoming increasingly popular in the manufacture of handmade rings, earrings and pendants. Handmade jewellery is more expensive, but worth the money as your pearls are matched as exactly as possible to each other and you have the luxury of implementing your own designs.