Pearls will always stay classic. Whether it's a pearl necklace around a first lady's neck, a pearl earring dotting the ear of a girl in a painting, a freshwater pearl button finishing the perfect cruise outfit, or a black pearl glowing between gemstones on a wedding ring, they create a feeling of simultaneous whimsy and discipline.

The allure of the pearl, with its intimate shimmer, smooth grace, and lightweight playfulness (even generated, at times, by phony versions), is irreplaceable.

Do your customers seem like the types to buy pearls while shopping in your store? Pearls are for those who:

1. Like jewelry, such as pearl necklaces, but not the gaudy kind
2. Want respect and femininity at the same time
3. Have a taste for mystery, or the ocean, which they get from freshwater pearls

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Know what a pearl is made of

Real pearls are highly varied and valued. Black pearls are the most valuable, but only when they are naturally black, meaning formed from the black-lipped oysters. Rating systems (usually A- to AAA+++) help you find the quality of a pearl, but some basics to keep in mind should be learned first:1. Round pearls are the rarest, while button, semi-round, and tear-drop are less valuable.2. Natural pearls, or naturally occurring pearls, are the rarest, while cultured and fake pearls, like mother of pearl or painted plastic, are much cheaper.3. Any pearl made due to human interaction is not a natural pearl. Instead, it is a cultured pearl, usually a freshwater pearl. Plenty of pearls that fall into this category are still expensive, including artifically colored cultured pearls that look like the rarer natural pearls.

I recommend: Pearls of Joy and the University of Texas' Department of Geological Sciences each have a smart pearl guide. Maui Divers Jewelry have many kinds of pearls, and their website shows how prices can range greatly for what may seem like the same material.

Kinds of pearl jewelry

Pearl earring studs, single and double strand pearl bracelets, and single or multi-strand pearl necklaces are all classic choices. Long, looping, and bouncing pearl necklaces like those of flappers in the 1920s give a different feel than the classic single strand uniform pearl necklace of Jackie Kennedy Onassis and her followers in the 1960s. Pearl earrings look smart on anyone from tennis players to beauty queens. Black pearls, cross-shaped pearls, diamond accented pearl rings, and the more 'natural' looking pearl and coral combination jewelry are usually marketed to specific customers .

I recommend: Offer single strand pearl necklaces, graduated pearl necklaces, combinations of other gemstones with pearl jewelry: if you're specializing in pearls, you may end up attracting a wide range of customers. Try Bidz.com, ShangBy, and PearlParadise.com for discount pearl jewelry. National Pearl is a good store for simple, unadorned pearl necklaces, pendants, etc. if you're looking to keep things as classy and understated as, say, the rest of your store's look.

All the pearls in the sea

Create a look of luxury with big bunches of pearls: pearl necklaces spilling over mini treasure chests, pearl bracelets lined up in a rainbow of color options, loose pearls or pearl earrings filling a crystal vase, or strands hanging over a frame-less mirror. Using fake pearls is fine for decoration, even if you're not interested in selling them. You could even offer thread, clasps, and pearl beads for the creative customer.

I recommend: Look to your local jeweler for the most reliable pearls. That way you can see them in person before purchasing them. Or, if that isn't an option, look to Honora Cultured Freshwater Pearls at QVC or Jewelry Television for cultured pearls and freshwater pearls and American Pearl for saltwater pearls, black pearls, ideas for merchandising and quality checking, and even sections on pearls and skin tone, pearls and famous people, plus more.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Make sure lighting in your store or in your online photographs is perfect. The more a pearl seems to glow, the more a customer will want it.
• •  Don't forget to make a bridal section, or at least mention the possibilities of a pearly wedding. Pearl wedding rings are becoming more popular and no bride or bridesmaid would meet all the traditional standards without a pearl necklace, and pearl earrings at the very least.
• •  Let customers know that pearls, like gold, are usually a good investment. Their value increases with time.