Pearl jewelry is a beautiful symbol of love, fidelity and trust; one of the reasons it makes ideal wedding jewelry and anniversary presents. It is timeless and lasts for years. Women love having pieces that have passed through the family and the stories behind them.

Pearls earrings should always be set in silver or gold and you should only get the real thing - cultured freshwater or sea water pearls only. Pearl jewelry gifts should only be real pearls whenever possible. Pearl earrings and necklaces make ideal gifts because they are timeless in their elegance.

The size of the genuine pearls does not matter. Fresh water cultured pearls turn up in a wider range of colors and shapes than their saltwater counterparts. You will see them in white, off-white, champagne, shades of pink and orange, purple, mauve, silver and brown. Their shapes take in oval, ovate, button-shaped, and drop shaped. Flawlessly round, large freshwater pearls are virtually nonexistent. Another way they are different from saltwater pearls- a single fresh water mussel can produce up to 60 pearls a year, much higher than saltwater production levels. Natural fresh water pearls come about in mussels for the identical cause that saltwater pearls occur in oysters.