• Select Which Type of Pearl You Need
• Judge Pearl Quality
• Maintain Your Pearls
• Jewellery Shopping Checklist
• Find Pearls and Pearl Jewellery on eBay Singapore
• Buy with Confidence
• Need More Help?
• Legal Disclaimer

Select Which Type of Pearl You Need

When a small foreign object is introduced into the body of an oyster or mollusc the organism produces a soft coating of calcium carbonate (nacre) around it, creating a pearl. Small foreign objects don't wander into molluscs very often so pearl cultivators insert microscopic objects into the organisms to create cultured pearls. There are four popular types of cultured pearls:

• Freshwater cultured pearls: Freshwater cultured pearls originate from the freshwater rivers and lakes of China. These pearls measure between 3.5mm and 7.0mm, generally have an asymmetrical shape, and have medium to high lustre. Freshwater cultured pearls are quite affordable and are mostly white, but can sometimes have a pink or rose tint.
• Akoya cultured pearls: Akoya cultured pearls are a type of saltwater pearl originating from China and Japan. They measure between 6mm and 8.5mm, and have a round, symmetrical shape with few blemishes. Akoya cultured pearls have a higher lustre than freshwater pearls, and a light colour ranging from cream to white/pink. They are generally average priced.   
• Tahitian cultured pearls: Tahitian cultured pearls are farmed on the volcanic atolls and reefs of Tahiti. These large pearls, ranging from 11mm to 13mm, have a unique black to grayish-green colour. They are mostly round in shape and have a rich, high lustre. Due to their scarcity and unique look, Tahitian cultured pearls tend to cost more than other types of pearls.
• South Sea cultured pearls: Large South Sea cultured pearls, measuring up to 13mm are farmed in Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. They range in colour from white to black and have a perfectly round to slightly asymmetrical shape. These pearls have medium to high lustre, and can be expensive depending on their lustre.

Judge Pearl Quality

There are six key factors that determine the value of pearls:

1. Pearl lustre: Lustre describes a pearl's shininess, with the higher the lustre, the more valuable the pearl is.
2. Pearl nacre thickness: The depth of a pearl's external layer, or its nacre, is a measure of pearl quality. Bigger pearls generally have thicker nacre layers and greater lustre. Thin nacre can be prone to chipping and peeling.
3. Pearl colour: The colour of pearls is referred to as "body colour". Colour isn't a significant factor in determining a pearl's value as pearls can be found in grey, blue, gold, pink, white, black, and all shades of cream. Pearls can also be dyed, although reputable sellers should notify buyers of such treatments. Some pearls have a secondary colour or overtone. For example, a white pearl may have a blue or pink tint upon closer inspection.
4. Pearl shape: Pearls come in various shapes however it is perfectly round pearls that tend to command higher prices. Drop pearls and pear-shaped pearls are especially ideal for earrings. Several jewellers use irregular baroque pearls as accents in jewellery.
5. Pearl surface texture: Natural pearls can have a various range of abrasions. While minimal flaws will not severely detract from a pearl's value, more obvious surface imperfections will likely reduce a pearl's value. Drilling holes and stringing pearls on a necklace, or mounting pearls can assist to deemphasise such imperfections.
6. Pearl size: Like diamonds, the larger the pearl, the more expensive it becomes. Round pearls are measured according to their diameter in millimetres while baroque pearls are measured by length and width.

Maintain Your Pearls

Pearls aren't as hard as mineral gemstones and can require more care.

Daily Protection

Wear your pearls only after applying makeup, hairspray, perfume or other potentially harmful substances that might stain them. Keep your pearls stored in soft cloth away from other jewels in order to prevent chipping.

Clean your pearls

The oils from your skin can actually help keep pearls moist, so even soapy water is unnecessary for cleaning pearls. Do not clean pearls with any type of solvent or abrasive. Rather, wipe them after use with a soft cloth, like those used for eyeglasses to best maintain them. 

Know when to restring your pearls

Restringing your pearls every few years is important as strings can wear down and break if not maintained.

Jewellery Shopping Checklist

Buying jewellery can be an extremely fun and rewarding process, but it’s important for buyers to be consumer savvy as well. Buyers should read thoroughly through the listing description of jewellery items, before committing themselves to a purchase.

1. Take care when sellers use valuations to indicate the amount of savings on a particular piece of jewellery. Such valuations may not always be correct for the market you are buying in. For example, a seller may suggest a diamond has been valued at $2000, however in actual fact, if the diamond was resold onto the market, this may not actually reflect what the seller would receive for it.
2. Ensure that you read the seller’s description to locate the material condition of the jewellery that you’re interested in buying. For example, if you’re interested in buying a gemstone, try to find out if the gemstone has been treated with extra coating or materials to improve its appearance (as opposed to an untreated gemstone). If you can’t locate this information then it’s highly recommended that you ask the seller directly, so that you are able to get a better idea of the actual quality of the gemstone.
3. Be aware of any jewellery terminology being used by sellers. Sellers may use common terms in their listing descriptions, which are known within the jewellery industry, but not commonly known or understood by consumers. For example, the word “synthetic” is actually another term for “artificial”. If you’re not sure of what a particular word means, then don’t hesitate to ask the seller directly or to seek external advice.
4. Ensure that you confirm with sellers about the country of origin of a piece of jewellery. For example, if the seller describes a gemstone as a Tanzanian emerald, it’s best to check with the seller if the emerald has actually been mined in Tanzania rather than assuming it has been.

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Find Pearls and Pearl Jewellery on eBay Singapore

Once you know what type of pearls you want, go to the Jewellery & Watches portal and begin searching for items on eBay Singapore.

• Keyword search: Search eBay Singapore listing titles for specific words. To find a range of different pearl jewellery, you can type "pearls" into the Search Box. If you want to find a specific type of pearl jewellery, for example a Freshwater pearl necklace, type "Freshwater pearl necklace" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay Singapore's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords. 

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, or save a search on My eBay and eBay Singapore will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy with Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay Singapore and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it is sent.
• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.
• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay Singapore (with a bid or Buy It Now). Transactions conducted outside of eBay Singapore are not covered by eBay Singapore protection programmes.
• Never pay for your eBay Singapore item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?
• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?
• Most top eBay Singapore sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay Singapore and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorised payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to US$1,000.
• eBay Singapore Security Centre: Visit the Security Centre to learn how to protect your account and use eBay Singapore's quick and efficient resolution tools.

Need More Help?

Visit our help pages or start a thread on one of our Community Discussion Boards - If you have a quick question that needs answering, try posting it on our community Answer Centre - there's bound to be a seasoned eBay Singapore veteran with just the information you're looking for!

Legal Disclaimer

Buying Guides are intended merely as a guide or review for members when considering what products or services they may be interested in bidding on or purchasing. eBay does not make, and nothing in these Buying Guides is intended to constitute, any warranties, guarantees, representations or assurances about the accuracy of the information or content contained in these Buying Guides. Furthermore, eBay does not make, and nothing in these Buying Guides is intended to constitute, any warranties, guarantees, representations or assurances about the nature or performance of the products or services appearing in the Buying Guides. eBay is not affiliated with nor does it endorse the use of any particular product or service.