Scott first shows her a strand of Japanese saltwater pearls. He points out that the pearls are round and well matched, but their pearl coating is very thin. Consequently the strand is not a good choice for long-term, every-day wear. He adds that the round white saltwater pearls in her price range tend to have a thin coating, no matter where they're sold. Charlene wonders why no other jewelers ever mentioned this to her.

Scott then shows her some strands of freshwater pearls and asks her to compare them to the first strand. They're a lot more lustrous. Then he helps Charlene pick out an affordable strand that looks good on her. Charlene is impressed with Scott's selection of pearls and his straightforward approach. She plans on coming back to him for the rest of her jewelry needs, including a strand of good saltwater pearls when she has more to spend.

Matt wants to buy his wife some pearls for their 30th anniversary, since this is the traditional gift. He and his wife have been happily married for many years, so he wants the pearls to be of unusually fine quality. Matt has read The Pearl Buying Guide and is aware that pearls have many subtle quality differences. He realizes he will need some expert help.

As he shops, he discovers that he knows more than a lot of the salespeople. Eventually, Matt finds somebody who is really knowledgeable about pearls-Sandy, a college student who works part­time to pay her way through school. Sandy has always had a keen interest in gems, especially pearls, and she takes advantage of every opportunity to learn as much as possible about them.

Matt already knows that he wants either pink or white saltwater pearls in the 7 to 8 millimeter range. Sandy brings out a variety of strands and points out the fine nuances of luster, color and surface markings. Then she helps him choose two strands, which they will have strung with three mystery clasps. That way his wife can wear the pearls in different necklace lengths and as a bracelet. This is a quick and easy sale for Sandy, and it's a pleasant experience for Matt. He's gotten efficient, professional help and exactly the kind of pearls he was looking for.

Lisa is in a Tahitian jewelry store looking through a bowl of black pearls. Before coming to Tahiti on holiday, she read the Pearl Buying Guide. The salesman in the store tells her that she can have any of the pearls in the bowl for the equivalent of $120. Lisa first picks out the ones with the best luster. Then she eliminates those that are either too light or have no overtone colors. Finally, she ends up with a fairly large, tear-drop-shaped, dark-gray pearl with some greenish and purplish highlights. One side of the pearl, however, is badly flawed. But Lisa plans to wear it as a pendant, so the flaws won't show.

On the flight back home, she sketches a design for the pendant and then later has her jeweler make it. He tells her he could never find a black pearl as attractive as hers for such a low price. When the pendant is finished, Lisa tries it on. She's very pleased with how it looks. But she's even more pleased that she owns a unique piece which she has helped create.

Shopping for pearls turned out to be a positive experience for Lisa, Matt and Charlene. This was largely because they took the time to learn about pearls beforehand and/or they dealt with a competent salesperson. Listed below are some guidelines that helped them and can help you when you shop for pearls.

Charlene is in a jewelry store. She's telling Scott, the owner, that she wants a nice pearl necklace but she's on a very limited budget. Although she's looked elsewhere, she hasn't found a strand she likes at a good price.