Beautiful pearls

One of my favorite kind of component is pearl. So far, I have found out 6 kind of pearls, fake and real, in general.

1. China's glass pearl. This is the cheapest of all and the worst quality of all. Personally, I don't like these pearls. They are good enough for bookmarks, Christmas tree decoration, or some hanging accessories, but definitely not for jewelry. For one, they are way too light, there is no mistaking them for real pearl. For another, the coated is easily scratch. I also dislike that the hole is way too big, it's hard to make a knot between pearls, unless I used a very thick thread. Mostly, I used them for trial because yes, they are cheap and I won't cry if I destroy some in experiment...

2. Czech glass pearl. Personally, I never have or use one. But I have read that this glass pearl has better quality than China's one.

3. Shell pearl. Funnily enough, these pearls, made from the shell of real pearls (freshwater and salt water pearls) are actually cheaper than the Swarovski ones. They have nice weight, and have more luster than even real pearls. There is no mistaking them for real pearls, though. But they do provide cheaper but still nice alternative than real pearls. They also often come in colorful options..

4. Swarovski pearl. This fake pearl is the one which in my opinion looks the most like real pearl. Swarovski pearls also better in some sense because unlike real pearls, they can withstand perfume. They have nice luster, nice weight, and easier to maintain than real pearls. They are also cheaper, of course. While real pearls are not expensive if I just want pearls, they can cost arm and leg once I want those of A grade and in perfectly round shape. Needless to say, I love these Swarovski pearls.

5. Freshwater pearl. This one is way cheaper than salt water one. If I bought button or teardrop or potato shaped one, the price is reasonable, and they still look pretty. The round one is not as round as salt water one, though.

6. Salt water pearl. This is the prettiest, and most expensive of all. >< They are usually only round shape.

Salt water and freshwater pearls are divided into grade, with A being the highest.

For me, one of the trouble about salt water and freshwater is that I can't keep them on plastic storage. It will dry the pearls and made them prone to crack. ><