Choosing The Perfect Necklace

A necklace is an accessory worn around the neck. They are frequently in the form of metal chain with a pendant or locket often hanging from its end. Necklaces come in different styles and length that can change the look of your outfit. Of all your jewelry pieces, your necklace makes the greatest impact to your look. It gives flair and color to whatever you are wearing. The necklace you choose to wear could either make or break your outfit.

Your Necklace and Your Clothes

Necklaces can be chokers, princess necklace, matinee necklace, opera necklace, rope necklaces (Sautoir), dog collar, bib necklace, graduated necklace and uniform necklace. Collars are typically about 13 inches long but can vary. They are most suitable to complement v-neck, boat neck or off the shoulder clothing.

A choker is about 14 inches long. It is the most classic of all necklaces. It is wrapped around and lies on the base of the neck. It can be matched with any clothing from casual to formal evening wear. Chokers set off any neckline. It is stylish when used with a button-down shirt and trendy with a cocktail dress.

If you are wearing something with high necklines, crew or low necklines or if you are not sure what?s the best strand to use, a princess necklace is best for you. It is also the ideal necklace to hang a pendant.

If you are going out for a business lunch or dinner or if you are wearing something casual or something with a high neckline, a matinee necklace is best for you. It adds elegance for a more sophisticated ensemble. It also suits sundresses and formal gowns. It gives a certain zest to an outfit while giving the person wearing it a feeling of confidence.

Opera necklaces are perfect for both crew and high necklines. It can be used for both casual and formal wear. It can be doubled to function as a choker. To create an old yet classic look, you could knot it at the neckline or above the breast line.

Rope necklaces are chic and incredibly sexy. You can have clasps placed in different locations so that you could have different necklaces and bracelets or have a multi-strand choker. Like Opera necklaces, you could knot this necklace for a trendier look. If you are wearing a backless dress, you could knot this necklace and sling it over your shoulder to give your dress more flair.

Looking for the Perfect Necklace

The best thing about choosing your necklaces is that you don?t have to traipse through malls in search of your necklaces as you can always shop online for fine necklaces from the comfort of your own home and go out feeling confident and trendy. Online stores have a large collection of necklaces that you can choose from, and it is updated regularly to suit whatever the trend is right now. They also display vintage pieces if you are into a more classical look.

Now that you have an idea what necklace to put on with whatever you are wearing, choosing the perfect necklace to accessorize your dress is not that daunting anymore.

Eric Hartwell oversees "The World's Best Homepage" intended to be a user-generated resource where YOUR opinion counts. Anybody can contribute and all are welcomed. Visit us to read, comment upon or share opinions on jewelry and visit his associated site for unique jewelry.

Some Things to Remember When Buying White Pearl Collar Necklaces

White pearl collar necklaces have been around for centuries. This style reached its peak during the Victorian era, where women of high birth wore them to accentuate their necks or over their high-collars to accessorize their clothes. White pearl collar necklaces have recently been making a comeback and enjoying a new popularity with stylish women of all ages.

White pearls are a favorite of women in the U.S. In Asia, women prefer silver-colored pearls. White has always been the color associated with pearls, even though they do come in a variety of shades and tones. White has remained a favorite over the years because of their simple and understated elegance.

Choosing pearl quality

One of the rarer pearls and the more expensive are natural pearls, produced ?by accident? when underwater irritants enter the shell of an oyster. Cultured pearls are the more common, since they are created using artificially planted ?nuclei?. They are in no way inferior to natural pearls and in fact are quite valuable; they are just produced differently.

When choosing fine white pearls, remember several factors that contribute to its beauty and value: the nacre thickness, luster, surface texture, size and shape.

Nacre thickness is probably the most important factor to consider when buying white pearls. Nacre is the crystalline/organic substance that is excreted by the oyster or mollusk when an irritant or nucleus enters its shell. This substance coats the irritant in layers, until it becomes thick. This coated irritant or nuclei becomes the pearl.

Nacre thickness differentiates a high-quality pearl from a low-grade one. The thicker the nacre coating, the more durable and long-lasting the pearl is. Pearls with thinner nacres usually do not maintain their luster over the years and may in fact chip off.

Luster refers to the reflective quality of the pearl. The pearl has a mirror-like surface and the quality of its luster is directly affected by the thickness of the nacre. The thicker it is, the deeper the shine. High-quality white pearls reflect light and the surrounding objects best.

Surface texture refers to the clearness and smoothness of the pearl. It is the near absence of imperfection on the surface. No pearl has the perfect surface, but minimum and nearly imperceptible flaws affect its overall look and value. Pearls are graded depending on its imperfections, like spots, bumps, discolorations and other irregularities that show on its surface.

The size of the pearl is determined by its diameter and is measured in millimeters. Tiny pearls measure from 1mm and under while bigger pearls can reach a diameter of as much as 20mm, just below an inch. With all things being equal, size can mean a huge difference in the value of a pearl. The bigger ones, of course, fetch the higher price.

Pearls are never perfect. If one such is found, it is probably the rarest and the most expensive. Because pearls follow the general shape of its irritant or nucleus, it can come in a variety of shapes, from the spherical to the symmetrical to the baroque. Which one you pick for your pearl collar will depend on your preference.

Color and overtone

White pearls are white, right? Well, not quite. Aside from the similar silver color, there are also white pearls whose main body color is affected by its overtone. Overtones are hints of color that lie on top of the main body color of the pearl. Think of a pearl as a tiny white sphere and its overtone like a slightly colored clear plastic that is wrapped tightly and smoothly over it and you can imagine how slightly different the white would appear.

White pearls could have one or more overtones. These can enhance the beauty of white pearls and provide a unique glow to its iridescent quality. Some white pearls, for example can have pink or yellow overtones. Which one you choose is really just a matter of personal taste.

Why collar necklaces?

Collar necklaces have an old-time charm. If you look at paintings and illustrations that date back some centuries ago, you will find collar necklaces adorning the necks of women, even queens and princesses.

Collar necklaces are about 12 to 13 inches long and may be composed of three or more strands of pearls. These are worn to fit the middle of the neck snugly. They are best worn during semi-formal to formal occasions when they can accentuate a slender neck and draw a stop to a pointed chin.

Choosing the right-size pearls

When buying white pearl collar necklaces, it?s a good idea to consider the age, face shape and body composition of the wearer. Generally, smaller pearls look best for children and teens, medium pearls for women in the 20s to the 30s while older women may look best in bigger pearls.

A good thing to remember is that the pearl collar is worn as an accessory and thus should not overwhelm the face. Otherwise, nobody will notice the wearer anymore. It will only be the pearls that they will see. Worse, if the size isn?t right, it will look like your pearls are borrowed from someone else.

For more information go to: http://www.unlimitedpearls.com, http://www.bestpearlnecklaces.com, or http://www.bestpearlearrings.com

The Beauty of Cultured Pearl Necklace

The timeless jewelry that speaks of elegance and beauty is none other than the pearl necklace. It is the only jewelry that never goes out of fashion and can be worn on all types of occasion. It can be match with any kind of clothing may it be formal or just plain casual.

Pearl is the birth stone of June. That is why most brides prefer to wear it especially if they are June brides. It gives out the impression of simplicity and chastity. The pureness of pearls radiates from the bearer.

Pearls used to be very rare and at the same time expensive. Nowadays, there are the so-called cultured pearls already which make the once so expensive now an affordable jewelry.

The pearl necklace usually comes in a various styles. One of which is the bib which is made up of several strands of pearls in various lengths. The Collar or also known as the dog collar is made up of multiple strands of pearls which are worn on the neck higher than usual.

There is also the choker. It is quite similar to collar but the worn lower on the neck. Usually it is just 14 to 16 inches long. The princess type of necklace on the other hand is the most common length of pearl necklaces. It is worn which lies slightly below the neck.

The matinee type of necklace is worn mostly during the semi-formal occasions. It matches very well with suits and dresses. The opera necklace is the one used for formal occasions like the evening gowns. It usually falls below the bust line.

The last type of necklace is the rope which is the longest among all pearl necklaces. It can be worn by doubling or knotting it. There are rope necklaces which have multiple clasps which are use to shorten the strands.

The pearls that are used as necklace can sometimes have the same size. Or they can be styled or graduated with a much larger pearl on the center and then the succeeding smaller pearls will run on the back on each side to the clasp. Whichever style you choose, good matching is very important both for fashion or beauty reasons and as well as for the value.

There are six factors which add up to the value or price of a pearl which are surface texture, luster, shape, nacre thickness, color, and size.

Pearls achieve their most distinctive beauty which comes from the reflection of light through the layers of crystalline nacre. The transparent nacre provides the deep shine and the high reflection. The luster is the essence of beauty of all pearls. A qualitative pearl will emit a brilliant and equal reflection with fine radiance.

The reflection of the pearl surface gives a dominant or prevailing color of pearls. The overtone is the deeper light reflected in which it draws the innermost color of the pearl.

The light shade pearls are cream, white and even golden in shade. The most valuable are white with association of pink and silver colors. On the other hand, the most fetish darker shade pearls are the black with association of green or blue colors.

The shape is also essential. The perfect round shape with a very smooth surface pearls are the most qualitative. It should have a very few imperfections.

There are different types of cultured pears. One of which is the Classic Akoya pearls. Another is the large black Tahitian pearls. Both of these pearls grow in salt water ocean so obviously they are called saltwater pearls.

There is also the large Golden or white south sea pearls and the decorative freshwater pearls which are inexpensive.

The pearls usually have four grading when it comes to quality. It is called as A, AA, AAA, and the AAA+ quality. The pearls with AAA and AAA+ grading of quality are the highest quality.

You can purchase these cultured pearl jewelries from any jewelry stores. You can also try browsing online to find the most affordable and classic pearls. You can also find a great bargain sometimes with online auctions.

It is still advisable to buy pearls in stores that have certification on being an expert with jewelries and of course from those with license. This is for you to be rest assured that you will buy the authentic ones.

For more information go to: http://www.unlimitedpearls.com http://www.bestpearlnecklaces.com

Handmade Beaded Jewelry ? The Girlie Girl Way Of Choosing The Right Necklace Design

You are looking to buy a handmade beaded jewelry piece, in particular a handmade necklace, but how to choose the right one? Not sure of which style or length would look great on you? Then read on and follow these tips:

The most important factor in choosing the correct handmade necklace design for yourself starts with looking at your reflection in the mirror. Consider the following:

? Are you tall with a slender neck? Then chocker or collar necklaces are for you, as well as princess necklaces (18? long) that sit at the base of your neck.

? If you have a short or neck, then wear the longer necklaces ? matinee (23? long), opera (30?-36? long), a graduated necklace, or go for the very long lariats or rope necklaces (+36? long). Their long visual lines will help in extending the length of your neck.

? If you are of average height and weight, then all the options above are open to you.

? If your neck tends to be on the chunky side, then we recommend staying away from the short length necklaces and wearing graduated necklaces, the longer opera or rope necklaces.

? Then ponder the ?cleavage issue.? Are you modest and tend to wear clothing that doesn?t show cleavage? Then necklaces that are short or very long, that tend to draw the eye away from your chest, are the ones you are looking for. Or are you daring and flirty? If showing some d?collet? is your style, then having the knot of a lariat in the center of your breastbone or a pendant ending there will certainly bring additional glances. It makes a difference where a necklace sits on your chest, and you must ask yourself what are you trying to emphasize, or not?

All right, next you are ready to reflect on fashion and style factors. You know that handmade beaded jewelry is the perfect solution ? so many gorgeous styles to choose from. But which one is best for you? That depends on your style and existing wardrobe.

When thinking about your style think about your body type ? is it petite? Then we suggest wearing pieces that are dainty ? smaller beads that, even when layered, will not overwhelm your size. Larger women will feel comfortable wearing the chunkier, heavier beads that are so fashionable today. Lifestyle is also of overwhelming importance, what do you spend your week doing? What are weekends like? No doubt your need for handmade beaded jewelry changes, from causal to dressy and everything in between as do your outfits.

When choosing a beaded necklace, bear in mind whether the necklace will contrast with the outfit and stand out or do you prefer a monotone look where everything blends beautifully together? Will the neckline allow the necklace to sit on your skin or will the handmade necklace sit on the fabric? Is the focal point the jewelry piece or the outfit itself? With so many questions, do you need help with the answers? The great thing about shopping online is that, assuming you are home, you can place the outfit next to your computer and go exploring, all while wearing your jammies?

Choosing handmade beaded jewelry, in particular a handmade necklace, can be daunting task, but there is a great resource available at http://www.girliegirlsjewelrystudio.com website. This is a small Southern California design company that specializes in creating custom handcrafted jewelry. They are Girlie Girls themselves, designing and wearing their one of a kind jewelry comes naturally. Visit their website and let them custom design a stylish and stunning piece for you.

Girliegirlsjewelrystudio.com objective is to raise awareness of CFS/CFIDS/ME through the design and sales of handmade jewelry and handmade awareness bracelets.

The Beauty of a Pendant Necklace

I am truly fascinated by all kind of jewellery but on top of my list stand pendant necklaces. There is absolutely nothing which can be more beautiful. It isn't the glimmer I like. I often find myself enchanted by a plain and tarnish pendant necklace. I try not to pay too much attention to gems - sapphires, rubies, emeralds and diamonds, so I am not really taken away by shiny things. And I surely cannot afford to have a necklace like that. What I like best are unique pendant necklaces which have a story of their own and have a character. My favorite pendant necklace was not originally designed as pendant jewellery. It was made up of a piece of pewter and it was a figure I liked to put on my mantle piece. The figure depicts a wizard, not an ordinary one but such without a long beard, a straight cap and long robes, and there is not a red stone in the wizard's staff, either. On the contrary, it is a typical but an eccentric pendant necklace.

The only thing that helps you recognize this figure is actually a wizard is the staff inscribed with imaginary runes that he holds. My wizard figure has a big casual hat with a puff ball, chubby cheeks, and a large friendly smile. He looks quite similar to a regular guy, so people often ask me about him. This is what I call a good pendant necklace, such that draws attention to you not for its gems but for its uniqueness and charm.

Making your own pendant necklace is not a very difficult task but the majority of people prefer purchasing them from stores. With a little creativeness you can make almost any miniature a lovely pendant necklace. Sometimes you might need to solder of bend the material, knowing something about shaping wire might also be helpful but most of the times you wouldn't need to do that in order to make a pendant necklace. All you need to have is patience and desire to learn. Having these two, you can easily make your own unique pendant necklace.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning jewelry. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Pendant Necklace

How to Buy Pearls - Pearl Matching in Pearl Necklaces

You look at a white pearl necklace. The light makes it sparkle with subtle hints of pink. Every pearl matches perfectly from the smaller pearls near the clasp to the largest pearl in the middle. The pearl necklace is beautiful! How did it get that way? It starts at the Pearl Farm, continues at the Pearl Dealer. If you buy a Pearl Necklace, the work has been done for you. If you are a Jewelry Designer who makes pearl necklaces, you need to know how to do this. What we buy from Pearl Dealers is not well matched!

There are seven Pearl Value Factors to be considered when making a pearl jewelry purchase. Pearl Matching is one of these. Pearl Matching refers to how well all the pearls in the strand of pearls match, one to another. A well-matched pearl necklace takes into consideration all the other Pearl Value Factors. The Match refers to the remaining Value Factors: Size, Color, Luster, Surface, Shape and Nacre. As simple as a traditional white pearl necklace appears, the process of matching pearls is quite complex. And this process has not varied from the time it first began.

When visiting a Pearl Jewelry Factory, there is always a room with a wall of windows looking northward. Northern exposures provide the best light for viewing pearls. This provides bright, indirect light. Often the windows will be covered with shades or frosted glass. Diffuse bright light is best for examining pearls in order to get an accurate body color and overtone for each pearl. Pearls are examined by trained technicians. Computers cannot do this work. Every pearl necklace is been assembled by hand.

For the purposes of this article, assume that some of the pearl processing has already occurred. We are not starting at the oyster harvest. Pearls have already been sorted by their relative size. This means that they have been quickly sorted into like-sized groups. We can also assume that the Pearl Jewely Factory purchased pearls of similar quality from the pearl farm. But, just like buying a bushel of peaches from a Farmers' Market, the pearls must still be evaluated. They will not all be exactly the same size. Nor will they be exactly the same quality. They will not even be the same shape - some will be closer to perfectly round than others.

In our particular matching case, we are working with several strands of white pearls that are close to round. There are many decisions to be made about what pearls to include in our pearl necklace.

1. The pearls are laid out under a bright light against a neutral background. Use a daylight-accurate lightbulb if you don't have a natural light source. Spread pearls on a white or pale grey cloth or bead tray.

    

2. Throw out any pearls with cracked nacre that exposes the bead nucleus.

    

3. Look first for common body color and start grouping these together. Move the rejected pearls to another area.

    

4. From your common body color, identify a common overtone. This will be the haloed color in the center of the pearl. In white pearls, this is usually rosè, green or silver. Group the pearls by common overtone.

    

5. Start organizing the groups by size, especially if this will be a graduated pearl necklace.

    

6. As the pearl necklace begins to take shape, identify the pearls with the highest luster. Place these pearls near the center of the pearl necklace. These will catch the most light when worn -- don't hide them near the clasp!

    

7. Once you have a full pearl necklace length, look at the nacre, surface and shape of the pearls in your necklace. Identify any pearls that are too off-round or are too blemished. Do this by rotating each pearl and examining it in the light. Look for flaws but also for beauty. Swap pearls in and out of the final group and also swap positions within the pearl necklace. Sometimes the position of a single pearl within the necklace can improve the overall matching of a necklace. It often takes longer to lay out the pearls in a pearl necklace than it will to add knots to the necklace after matching.

I have watched skilled technicians match pearls; they make it look effortless. They are fast! Matching pearls takes practice, but it is a good skill to have.

Beth Schmitz, CEO Avant Pearl, GIA Pearls Graduate

A jewelry designer, businesswoman and self-proclaimed diva, Ms. Schmitz spent more than 20 years in business. Her creative side took control in 2001 when she chose to dedicate her life to the jewelry industry and the smart women like her who appreciate gorgeous baubles and have the means to pay for them.

Beth's online pearl jewelry boutique, AvantPearl.com, features high-end pearl jewelry from leading designers, limited-edition manufacturers and skilled craftsmen throughout the world. She holds a degree from Harvard University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.

Necklaces of the Renaissance Period

The Renaissance began in Italy during the 1300's, it spread to England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and other countries during the 1400's and ending in the early 1600's. This movement was considered a rebirth of the ancient works of art, literature, and philosophy. The Europeans studied these three endeavors of ancient Greece and Rome following the great scholars and artists, becoming themselves great in continuing and even advancing these areas. This movement reached a height in the 1400's and the early 1500's when achievements had become some of the greatest in history.

During the Renaissance jewelers achieved breakthroughs in shop tools, working areas, methods, and advanced techniques. Successful artists came from serving in strict apprenticeships or grew up working with family or close friends in the trade. Jewelry was in high demand during this period in history. In Florence, Italy there were over forty shops dedicated to producing the finest jewelry the world had yet ever seen. The style before the Renaissance was called Gothic which was thought to have expelled all of the possible works from it and had given in to the new more elaborate style.

During the end of the fifteenth century western Europe had become united in many ways and artists freely traveled about expanding their craft. During this time of international freedom, French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Hungarian jewelers developed their style at an equal pace. This made it difficult sometimes to distinguish from which country the jewelry was made during the Renaissance period. Italy was considered one of the greatest at the time for many forms of art including jewelry. Throughout Europe, Italian jewelers were sought for their advanced techniques and amazing methods for extracting the finest detail.

The technique at the time was very disciplined and defined. The overall piece would often have a central theme with incredible detail and precision. The designs would be incredible stretches of the imagination, ships, galleons, mermaids, mermen, salamanders, sea horses, and cupids would be laced with beautiful diamonds and other precious gems. Brooches, pendants, and ropes were sculpted from onyx, silver, gold and laced with pearls, opals, and rubies. Necklaces were normally made to end part way around the neck with looped ends and linking done with threading applied to backings in some cases. A necklace with a pendant was called en suite. Portraits were carved with babies and angels, sculpted with such fine detail as to the point of miraculous. Irregular pearls called baroque would be set in a design that made their unusual shape flow and become a necessary part of the piece. Diamonds were often fashioned into triangular chips embellishing the piece with extraordinary beauty.

During this time gems were thought to contain special powers for the body, so these were designed into the piece to touch the skin. Salamanders were said to represent passionate love and cupids were often times given as gifts to enhance a special meeting. An interesting note, Queen Elizabeth enjoyed animal jewels and had various ones in her collection including greyhound, scorpion, turtledove, and dolphin.

Output of South German and Hungarian mines worked at a fevered pitch to meet the massive demand for gold in this period. The Hungarian mines also produced opals and precious stones which were also imported from the Oriental regions. Sea coral was used for carving which came from off the shores of Italy.

In the making of the pieces casting was performed, many times in two or more sections or portions. After casting, various pieces were put into different combinations bringing about different designs. Opaque white enameling would be done with care as to not completely cover all the metal. Carefully applying enamel to recessed areas with deep cuts or cells of metal then sanding the metal down to the level of the enamel was called champleve'. Adhesive used for precious gems was black wax. The wax was used if metal drawn over or embracing the precious stone detracted from the overall design of what the artist envisioned. There were a few methods used for making tiny sculptures. Some of these included wax modeling which was accomplished then careful casting of the tiny art piece then melting out the wax. Small sheet metal shaping and pressing was also done if the piece required it.

Rings were the most popular, then pendants, and then necklaces. Pendants were worn by men, women, and children. Men and children wore them around the neck. Women wore them around the neck or pinned or tied with ribbon on the dress or sleeve.

The jewelry of the Renaissance with all of its passion and romance continues on as talented artists embrace and study this great period. Keeping it still alive with their own masterpieces influenced by this era of artistic achievement.

To see some amazing jewelry visit: www.amazing-adventure.com/Jewelry/AlleJewelry.htm

Glenn Heitkoetter is a part time writer and runs the following websites: www.incredible-items.com and www.amazing-adventure.com