If you’ve ever looked into pearl grading and found yourself confused, you’re not alone, and the problem isn’t you. Blame it on the system or, more specifically, the lack of one. Whereas many consumers are familiar with the Gemological Institute of America’s International Diamond Grading system which standardizes the grading of diamonds by the 4Cs (cut, clarity, color and carat), there is no such institution for pearls. Further complicating matters, pearls are valued by seven qualities: luster, surface quality, size, shape, color, nacre thickness and matching. That means there’s even more room ..read more

In O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi,” a young husband and wife each secretly sell their most prized possessions to buy presents for the other. Its themes of love, selflessness, and generosity have been retold throughout literature and popular culture, sometimes to great comic effect: In The Honeymooners, Ralph Kramden sells his trusty bowling ball to buy a present for his wife Alice—only to find that she has gifted him with a new bag for his ball. In a Sesame Street holiday special, Bert sells his rubber duckie to buy a cigar box to hold the paper clip collection of his pal Ernie—who has sold ..read more

Regardless of the language, gratitude is universal, and this year we have plenty to be thankful for.   In this sometimes crazy, unpredictable, pressure-cooker world of ours, here’s something to be grateful for: November is National Gratitude Month. No kidding. That’s a whole month devoted to the theme. Of course, Thanksgiving sits right in there, which is an obvious connection, but did you know that the roots of World Gratitude Day date back to 1965, that in 1977 it was formally recognized by the United Nations, in 1998 a new branch of psychology devoted to the study of gratitude was laun ..read more

Chances are when you hear the term "concierge service" you think of that friendly, knowledgeable, trusted advisor behind a desk at a luxury hotel who is there to answer questions, solve problems and get things done, whatever the need may be. But did you know that we offer that same level of service at Pearl Paradise? And while we provide it year-round, there’s perhaps a no better time to experience it than while holiday gift shopping. For example, consider the following scenarios:   ·      “My significant other is dreaming of an Akoya pearl necklace, but I have no idea what ..read more

Halloween's behind us, Thanksgiving's just ahead, and that means the holidays are right around the corner. Along with turning leaves and crisp air, there's also a collective quickening of the pulse as the panic of holiday gift buying kicks in. But fear not- we're here with a fantastic gift guide and helpful advice to make your shopping easy and- dare we say it?- enjoyable. Whether you're a first-time buyer or a seasoned aficionado, there's no gift quite like pearls, and there's no better place to shop for them than Pearl Paradise. Why pearls? "They're classic, elegant, and timeless, yet right ..read more

A long pearl necklace is so much more than the sum of its parts What’s better than a 16-inch strand of beautiful Akoya pearls? Two—or even three—of them. And not just that it’s two or three times better, we’re talking exponential improvement. How so? Because combining multiple strands is how we make a single long necklace, which in turn can be worn in a multitude of styles. It’s like getting three or four jewelry pieces out of one single pearl rope. To learn how, let’s roll back to the beginning. Pearls can be purchased loose, meaning individual pearls that are not drilled, or by the strand, w ..read more

A long pearl necklace is so much more than the sum of its parts What’s better than a 16-inch strand of beautiful Akoya pearls? Two—or even three—of them. And not just that it’s two or three times better, we’re talking exponential improvement. How so? Because combining multiple strands is how we make a single long necklace, which in turn can be worn in a multitude of styles. It’s like getting three or four jewelry pieces out of one single pearl rope. To learn how, let’s roll back to the beginning. Pearls can be purchased loose, meaning individual pearls that are not drilled, or by the strand, w ..read more

Over the past year I've been working on a project for the Cultured Pearl Association of America. It's related to something I've been passionate about for nearly two decades, and I proposed it to the organization in September of last year. With the help of avid pearl researcher Caitlin Williams from Pearl-Guide.com, we've created something designed to educate anyone and everyone who would like to learn more about pearls. Today we launched www.PearlsAsOne.org, with the support of the CPAA, Jewelmer, Paspaley, Atlas, J. Hunter Pearls Fiji and the Hong Kong Pearl Association. It's the first of its ..read more

Online shopping is difficult- will it fit? How big is it? Do my earlobes look like that model's earlobes? Believe us, we completely understand! Then add things like mm sizes and words like Hanadama?! Our team had to complete a 9 part course to wear the Certified Pearl Specialist crown. We don't expect every customer shopping for a pearl necklace to know the difference between Tahitian pearls and Freshwater pearls' nacre thickness. BUT we can offer a helpful blog to put pearl shopping in layman's terms for all to enjoy. Let's become a pearl shopping pro! Okay, we're going to break this dow ..read more

If anyone deserves a little spoiling, it's Mom and all the mom figures in our lives. Their unconditional love, their eternal sunlight, and warmth deserve to be celebrated every day, but let's make this one day a little more special. We have curated a Mothers Day gift guide with an array of pearl jewelry. From our tried and true gifts for traditional moms to pure luxury gifts for the Boss Mommas of the world, there is a little for all to enjoy.  The Traditional Mom: Just like the heirloom that is your mother, our Hanadama pearl collection is the pearly gift any traditional mom would love ..read more