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Frequently Asked Questions
While no international grading system exists for pearls, there are six factors that help determine a pearl's value. They are: size, luster, shape, color, nacre thickness, and surface characteristics. These vary from pearl to pearl and should all be considered prior to purchase. (For more on quality, visit How to Buy Quality Pearls in our What Are Pearls section.)
A cultured pearl is a real pearl, made from the same substance as a natural pearl. The difference: Cultured pearls get their start with a little nudge. Rather than waiting for nature to take its course, man deliberately places an irritant—a mother-of-pearl bead is used in a quality cultured pearl—in the oyster to stimulate the secretion of aragonite (calcium carbonate) and conchiolin. These substances, when layered around the irritant, form a pearl. Today, cultured pearls can rival the beauty of natural pearls; indeed it is very difficult to tell them apart.
A freshwater pearl is a pearl that has been formed in a freshwater mollusk, rather than an oyster that lives in the sea. Typically, people think freshwater pearls are rice-shaped, but in fact they come in all shapes, including round. Like marine pearls, round freshwater pearls are the rarest, most desirable and most valuable shape. It is difficult to find perfectly round pearls of similar size and color to match for a strand, which is why matched strands are more expensive than other types of pearl jewelry. Unlike oysters, freshwater mollusks can produce more than one pearl at a time, but the process is still at the mercy of Mother Nature. Out of the thousands of animals that are implanted with irritants, it is still rare to get a commercially acceptable pearl.
Today, pearls are wildly popular, both with traditionalists who prefer classic strands and those who favor more modern jewelry, (Moon River Pearls currently offers classic pearls, but will soon be adding many new, original styles to our line.) As noted above, pearl jewelry prices depend on many factors including color, style, length, and size, among other things, but, compared to other gems, they are very affordable. When purchasing jewelry, keep in mind that pearls are meant to be worn, so don't skimp on quality. Buy the best you can afford. You can get excellent pearl jewelry for much less than you would pay for jewelry made from other desired gems—you don't need to spend a fortune.
Moon River Pearls' cultured pearls are produced in a gorgeous freshwater lake in China. Independent analysis confirms they are of excellent quality and even better value.
Quite simply, because quality can vary so much. Strands of large, round, perfectly matched pearls with 100 percent solid nacre and beautiful luster are rare and will cost more than pearls that are irregularly-shaped, mismatched in size, or have obvious blemishes or poor luster. Pearls from jewelry stores may be more expensive because retail outlets have much greater overhead costs. It is best to compare two or three pieces from different sources; once you do, the differences in quality will become readily apparent. Don't be fooled by high prices—they don't always signify quality gems.
Color is an individual choice. Beautiful pearls exist in a wide variety of colors, but traditional creamy white pearls are still the most popular. Although individual color preferences vary, it is best to choose pearls that will flatter the skin tone of the wearer.
Absolutely! Many gemologists today even consider Chinese freshwater pearls better than those cultured in Japan. Moon River Pearls' Chinese cultured pearls come in many colors, have wonderful luster and solid nacre, and are beautifully matched and strung by our experts. Even experienced jewelers would have a difficult time telling Moon River Pearls' cultured Chinese pearls apart from natural gems.
Given some simple care, pearls will last for generations. Because nacre is sensitive to chemicals, keep pearls away from personal care products such as perfume and hairspray, and always remove pearl jewelry before swimming in a chlorinated pool. To clean your pearls, rub them gently with a soft cloth after wearing. Occasionally, wash your pearl jewelry with mild hand soap and lay it on a towel to dry. (Do not wear your pearls until they are fully dry as a damp strand will attract dirt.) Store pearls away from other jewelry in their own box or pouch so they aren't exposed to friction from harder gems. For detailed care instructions, refer to the instruction card that comes with your jewelry. Treated with care, pearls can last a lifetime or longer. Although they have a low hardness compared to other gems, their dense, compact makeup makes them surprisingly durable. But pearls are perishable. Substances like perfume, vinegar, hairspray, inks, and perspiration are detrimental to pearls, as is chlorine. It is best to remove pearl jewelry before swimming and showering, and to put pearls on after makeup, perfume and hairspray have been applied. Once a pearl's surface is marred, unlike a gemstone, it cannot be polished, sanded or reshaped—unfortunately man has yet to invent a way to restore pearls' natural beauty. For this reason, pearls should be stored in their own pouch (or your Moon River Pearls box) away from other gems so they don't get scratched or marred. To clean pearls, rub them with a soft cloth. If soap is needed, use a non-abrasive cleaner such as hand soap. Let your pearls air dry fully before you wear them again. Never use bleach, abrasive cleaners, or an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner. It may be necessary to have pearls restrung if they are worn frequently.
Quite simply, because we offer exceptional quality at terrific prices. Moon River Pearls' mollusks are painstakingly nucleated; our 100 percent solid nacre pearls are carefully harvested, graded, matched, strung, and individually tied. The result is a beautiful, heirloom-quality piece every time. We know the pearls you buy are a special purchase; that's why we will never skimp on product quality, packaging, or shipping. We are so sure you'll be thrilled with your Moon River Pearl purchase that we have a 30 day 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee. We'll even pay for return shipping!
After we package your order, we will deliver it via FedEx Ground free of charge. For domestic orders, expect your pearls to arrive between three and ten business days after you place the order. If you simply cannot wait for your Moon River Pearls, we will ship them via Federal Express overnight delivery for $15.00. Once you place your order, you will be sent a confirmation e-mail with an order number and a Federal Express tracking number. You can check your order status online at any time by going to our contact page and entering your order number and zip code. If you are buying pearls as a gift, simply type in the recipient's address on the Ship To form, and your gift will be sent to the address you specify.
If for any reason your Moon River Pearls purchase does not meet your expectations, call our toll-free customer service line, at (800) 405-2488,
or e-mail us for return instructions. Customers who return pearls in their original condition within 30 days will receive a full refund or exchange. Once we receive your return, we will notify you via e-mail, and either credit your account or replace or exchange the merchandise as you instruct. If for any reason after 30 days you are unhappy with your purchase, call our customer service line toll-free, and our representatives will make every effort to resolve your concern.
Currently, Moon River Pearls accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Card. You can shop with confidence; our secure site offers the highest level of privacy and protection available.
Policies
At Moon River Pearls, your privacy is very important to us. We appreciate our customers and understand the value of protecting your rights. We hope to address all of your concerns through this list of privacy-related Frequently Asked Questions.
We use your name, e-mail address, phone number, mailing address and credit card information to process your orders and/or notify you if you enter and win a contest on our site. This information is stored in a secure database, and is only available to employees of Moon River Pearls who have proper clearance.
In the unlikely event that you experience unauthorized use of your credit card, promptly report the fraudulent activity to your credit card company. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, you are only liable for the first $50 of the fraudulent charges. Please check with your credit card company to verify specific terms and conditions.
We only send information about our hot deals and specials to our customers who find it useful. You can opt-out of receiving future communications from us when you set up your account or by updating your account information. When you participate in a contest or survey, you also have the choice of opting-out at that time.
Today, the Internet is actually the safest way of doing business with your credit card. We have made it safer to use your credit card on our site than it is to use it in more traditional ways, such as in retail stores or restaurants.
We use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology for mutual authentication, data encryption and data integrity all to ensure secure transactions for our customers. SSL is the industry standard security protocol to encode sensitive information, such as your credit card number. SSL creates a shared digital key, which only lets the sender and the receiver of the transmission scramble or unscramble information. To everyone else, even the servers relaying the message, the SSL transmission is indecipherable. SSL encryption can only be broken by intercepting the encrypted message, recording it, and using a computer to try every possible combination until the key is cracked. Most keys range from 40 to 1,024 digits long...as you can imagine, the number of possible combinations can be into the billions and beyond!
Encryption is based on the mathematical scrambling and unscrambling of messages. The type of encryption we use assigns two keys one is public and one is private. When you send us a message, you use our public key to encrypt your message. Once we receive your encrypted message, we use the private key to decode it. The same key cannot both encrypt and decrypt information. So, information encrypted using the private key can only be decrypted using the public key, and vice versa—thus ensuring the security of your information.
Before completing any transaction on a website, you should make sure it is a Secure Site. Being on a Secure Site means you are connected under the cloak of SSL security. You can tell if you are on a Secure Site if you see a padlock or key somewhere along the bottom of your browser's window. If the lock is closed or if the key is unbroken, you are dealing with a Secure Site.
Simply put, a "cookie" is a small file that serves as an identifier stored on your machine. Although they are not required to browse our site, we use cookies to make web shopping possible. For instance, when you are ready to purchase an item, a cookie allows our site to "remember" you have added the item to your shopping cart.
We will be happy to assist you with your purchase by phone at (800) 405-2488.
If you have any additional questions about our privacy practices, please contact customerservice@MoonRiverPearls.com
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