If you’re struggling to find the perfect gift for Grandma, then here’s your solution: Pearls. More specifically a rope pearl necklace. The first question you might ask is, “Why?” Well, if diamonds are a girls best friend, then pearls are a Grandmother’s. During the 1950s, due to the cultured pearl, the pearl was promoted as the one piece of jewelry that every woman should and could have. This is precisely why pearls are so popular with Grandmothers. During the 1950s is also the time frame that most of our Grandmother’s were teenage girls just dreaming of the day they would receive their mother’s pearls or get their very first pearl jewelry of their own.
The value of a pearl is determined by five main things: luster, color, size, surface flaws, and symmetry. That may seem like a lot of criteria to go by, so you can narrow it down to the two most important factors among those five: luster and size. Putting it plainly, the larger the pearl the more valuable it is. However, if its not nice and shiny (luster) then it may not be worth anything at all. The perfect pearl should be about the size of a large pea and should appear as if it was just shined and polished. In addition to those five main criteria, peals can also be found in eight basic shapes: round, semi-round, button, drop, oval, pear, baroque, and circular. Round and baroque are commonly found in necklaces, while the other shapes are typically used for earrings, pendants, or bracelets. One particular brand we find to be absolutely gorgeous is HinsonGayle. In fact, they just created one of their first white free-form pearl rope necklaces, which would be an absolutely gorgeous gift for your grandmother.