Pure Pearls Glossary

Know exactly what you are buying

4 terms starting with G, each linked to the pieces we actually have.

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Freshwater, saltwater, South Sea, keshi, and how to tell a real pearl from a coated bead.

Round, baroque, drop, coin and the rest, and what each one is worth paying for.

What AAA actually means, plus lustre, nacre, orient and the claims to be sceptical of.

Millimetres, choker to rope, bangle sizing, and which length suits which neckline.

Jhumka, mangalsutra, kundan, polki, temple work and the rest of the Indian vocabulary.

925 silver, plating thickness, American diamond, coral, hallmarks and karat versus carat.

Clasps, knotting, drilling and settings — the parts that decide whether a piece survives.

Storing pearls, the tooth test, restringing, and the astrological terms buyers ask about.

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Any mineral or organic material cut for jewellery. Traditionally split into precious (diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald) and semi-precious.

15 in stock · from ₹1,600

A thin layer of gold deposited over a base metal. Gives the colour of gold at a fraction of the cost, and wears off over time.

A strand where pearls increase in size from the clasp to the centre — small at the neck, largest at the throat.

34 in stock · from ₹4,900

A South Indian necklace where clusters of small pearls hang in bunches from a metal frame, said to resemble a fish's roe.

Every term here links to what we actually have in stock. Or start from the collection and filter your way in.