Traditional Chinese musical instruments were closely associated with the rise of music in China. They are symbols of Chinese culture. In old times, they were also indicators of the level of productivity.

There are mainly the following styles instruments used and popular in ancient China history.

Gu-qin

seven-stringed zither without bridges, the most classical Chinese instrument with over 3000 years of history. Literally, Gu Qin means “Ancient Musical Instrument”. It is a seven string plucked Chinese musical instrument of zither family. Its sound is very peaceful, like resounding in a valley.

Being on top of the four traditional arts, the guqin has historically been regarded as one of the most important symbols of Chinese high culture. Unfortunately only small number of people in China could play the instrument, because classical musical education of this kind has never reached general public.

Gu-zheng

Chinese zither with movable bridges and 16 – 25 strings. There are Guzhengs with even more strings. The guzheng is a similar instrument to many Asian instruments such as the Japanese koto, the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum, and the Vietnamese ?àn tranh.

The modern-day guzheng (gu jirn) is a plucked half-tube zither with movable bridges and 21 strings. However, the number of strings may range anywhere from 15 to 25. A customized version even exists with more than 44 strings. The strings were formerly made of twisted silk, but at the turn of the 20th century most players used metal strings (generally steel for the high strings and copper-wound steel for the bass strings). Currently most performers use steel strings flatwound with nylon.

Er-hu

Two-string bowed Chinese musical instrument, known in the West as the “Chinese violin” or “Chinese two-string fiddle”. Playing the erhu is accomplished usually via sitting with the box on one knee and the erhu held virtually vertical. The bow is strung between the two strings (which are close) and bowing causes both strings to vibrate. The left hand alters the tone of the strings by pressing on the string at the normal harmonic points. As the instrument has no frets, the tone is slightly muddled, but resonant.

Pipa

A plucked Chinese musical instrument with four strings. Sometimes called the Chinese lute. It has a pear-shaped wooden body. This instrument resembles the Spanish guitar in some ways, with long fingernails being cultivated to pluck the strings. The Pipa has a history of over 2,000 years spanned from the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty. The most common pipa has a body with a short neck and a wooden belly. There are 19 to 26 bamboo frets called Xiang on the neck. The Xiang are either made of wood, jade, or elephant tusks. A pipa traditionally had 4 silk strings mostly with common tunes of A, D, E, and A. With the pipa held vertically in the lap, the player plays it using imitation fingers. This allows more freedom for the player to perform various techniques on the four strings. The range of techniques that can be used are the widest among all of the Chinese plucked-strings, making it the most expressive instrument in the plucked-string section. Some of the techniques include: fretted pitch-bends, tremolos, various double and triple, and a continuous strumming of the strings with four fingers. We bought ours in Zhengzhou in 1999. They come in different sizes. Ours is a smaller one.

Dizi ( Bamboo Flute )

Dizi, a traditional Chinese musical instrument, became popular as early as the Warring States Period (475-221BC). It first appeared in Hemudu Clan (in present-day Hubei Province) 7,000 years ago.

This transverse bamboo flute has a blowing hole, a stop hole and six finger holes. The two holes furthest from the player and fundamental tone holes and next to them are two auxiliary tone holes. Its range is two and a half octaves. During the blossoming of the art of opera in the late Ming (1368-1644) and early Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties, Dizi was adopted as an accompanying instrument for various kinds of stage dramas.

Xiao

is a Chinese vertical end-blown flute. It is generally made of dark brown bamboo (called “purple bamboo” in Chinese). It is also sometimes (particularly in Taiwan) called dongxiao, dòng meaning “hole.” An ancient name for the xiao is “vertical bamboo flute”, but the name xiāo in ancient times also included the side-blown bamboo flute, dizi.

Chinese food therapy is a practice of healing using natural foods instead of medications.

Chinese food therapy is a modality of traditional Chinese medicine, also known as Chinese Nutrition therapy. It is particularly popular among Cantonese people who enjoy slow-cooked soups.

Chinese food therapy dates back as early as 2000 BC. However, proper documentation was only found around 500 BC. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine also known as the Niejing, which was written around 300 BC, was most important in forming the basis of Chinese food therapy. It classified food by four food groups, five tastes and by their natures and characteristics.

During the Chau dynasty (16 BC), food therapy was established as a specialist field. The state even had a food specialist serving the emperor in the imperial court. It was during the Tang dynasty (608-906 AD) that food therapy became popular and the classic books on the subject were published.

Throughout Chinese history, healthcare was not the responsibility of the state but rather the responsibility of every ordinary citizen. People used their own resources to find cures when they became sick, which meant that most people could not afford to be sick. This is why preventive healthcare is so popular in China. Out of the four pillars of health – lifestyle, diet, exercise and mind – diet is most important because food is considered the primary cause of sickness as well as the main reason for living long and healthy.

Food plays a center role in Chinese culture. Cooking good food for family members is a lifelong profession for most women. Children are brought up with some knowledge of the nature of their daily foods. Dietary restriction is commonly understood and observed. Eating well and healthy is almost a national obsession and definitely the most valued activity of family life.

Some common food therapy items and recipes

Oral secretion of swiftlets, collected from the binding material of their nests.

Alleged effects: promote beautiful skin for women; “strengthen the spleen and open up the stomach” (meaning improve appetite. Vegetables and fruits are believed to nullify the effect of bird nest if taken within the same day.

The dried material is soaked in water to rehydrate.

The soaked bird nest is cleaned by hand to remove other nest building debris such as grass and feathers.

The cleaned and crumbled bird nest is double steamed with rock sugar as a dessert or with a small amount of pork as a soup.

Dressing up a table for a special dinner or celebration is not difficult when you have the right table linens. Tablecloths and place mats are certainly able to formalize or liven up the dining space. On the other hand, a vintage or modern table runner is able to add a very original charm to your table.

Table runners come in all sizes, colors, designs, and materials. These items can be used on any propitious occasion, but they are especially common on holiday tables. A table runner featuring a Thanksgiving turkey, gourds, pumpkins or snowmen can impress family and guests and add to the joy of the season, especially when used with matching napkins and place mats.

This is not to say that the use of table runners is limited to holiday and seasonal occasions. An ethnic table runner, for instance, is appropriate for almost all instances, whether highly formal or not. A handmade or woven ethnic table runner may have come all the way from Central or South America, or it may have been embroidered according to tradition by members of a Swedish or Chinese family. Ethnic table runners give your dining room a touch of cosmopolitan distinction.

There are endless ways and suitable occasions to display table runners. Table runners can be used to spread inspirational qualities, transforming one’s dining room into a festive, chic, or luxurious space. Vintage and modern table linens are treasures. It is not difficult to understand why they are a popular trend among collectors of linens.

Table runners are a terrific way to “dress up” a kitchen or dining room table. Instead of covering the entire table, a table runner covers only the middle section of the table, “running” the length of the table. They come in a variety of sizes designed for different length tables, and also have many patterns from which to choose.

Some people use table runners on the bare table, just to provide some extra color in the center of their table. They might purchase coordinating place mats that can create protection of the table at each place setting. Alternately, smaller runners may make the perfect tablecloth for coffee tables of a certain length.

The other way table runners can be employed is by placing them over a coordinating tablecloth. This can add an extra layer and it may be a terrific choice when a person wants to add a specific theme to a decorated table. For instance, people can have solid color tablecloths for use around the year, and then buy table runners that have holiday or holiday color themes. Wedding reception linens may feature runners over cloths to reflect the bride’s color scheme and color choices.

Runners may be preferred to elaborately patterned tablecloths because they add extra design but aren’t overwhelming. When presentation or table decoration is important, printed tablecloths may conflict with food or simply be too busy when combined with china patterns, silverware, serving plates, and the like. A runner can add just a touch of pattern or design that accents instead taking over the design scheme of the table.

Shoppers can buy table runners in numerous colors, patterns and fabric choices at linen stores and many department stores. As mentioned, some have holiday themes, while others may be suited to any season. People do need to check the desired length of the runner as compared to length of tables on which they plan to use them. Sometimes, oddly sized tables can pose a challenge when shopping for commercially manufactured runners.

One alternative that many people choose is to make table runners at home. They really don’t require significant sewing talent. People may merely need to place a quick seam around the runner to finish the fabric edges. Very narrow fabric may not even need finishing on the sides and might only require hemming on the top and bottom of the runner.

An advantage to creating a table runner by hand is the vast choice of fabrics, patterns, and designs available. People who want to make luxurious runners can even choose fabric from design and/or upholstery stores that is heavier weight. Another plus to hand sewing table runners is that they can always be perfectly sized for the tables on which they will be used.

The accepted history of the tea set begins in China during the Han Dynasty (206-220 B.C.). At this time, tea ware was made of porcelain and consisted of two styles: a northern white porcelain and a southern light blue porcelain. It is important to understand that these ancient tea sets were not the creamer/sugar bowl companions we know today.

Historians believe the teapot was developed during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.) An archaeological dig turned up an ancient kiln that contained the remnants of a Yixing teapot. Yixing teapots, called Zi Sha Hu in China and Purple Sand teapots in the U.S., are perhaps the most famous teapots. They are named for a tiny city located in Jiangsu Province, where a specific compound of iron ore results in the unique coloration of these teapots. They were fired without a glaze and were used to steep specific types of oolong teas.

The following we will show you mainly all styles of tea wear usded in China from the ancient to present.

1. Fictile Tea Sets

Among the fictile tea sets, the purple clay tea set made in Yixing is regarded as the best one. The purple clay teapot is made of unglazed clay, which is baked with purple and red mud specially found in the local area. Since it is densely agglomerated and finely molded at a high temperature, such a teapot not only can hold water without leakage but also can absorb liquid and retain some of the flavor of the tea due to its porous nature unperceivable by naked eye. The purple clay teapot is slow in heat transfer, preventing one from scalding one’s hand. It can also keep tealeaves from spoiling in hot days. More over, such kind of teapot can stand sharp changes in temperature and even be put directly on fire to stew tea if required. The purple clay tea set also features simple design and unsophisticated color and takes various shapes, such as bamboo knot, lotus root, pine tree knot and bronze ware imitating that of the Shang (17th- 11th century BC) and Zhou (11th century BC – 256BC) Dynasties.

2. Porcelain Tea Sets

1) White-porcelain tea sets: the most famous white-porcelain producing area is Jingdezhen, and other areas include Liling of Hunan Province, Tangshan of Hebei Province and Qimen of Anhui Province. In the Yuan Dynasty, Jingdezhen was well known for its celadon that enjoyed a hot sale overseas.

2) Celadon tea sets: celadon tea sets began to enjoy popularity from the Jin Dynasty, and reached its height of splendor in the Song Dynasty when Longquange Kiln of Zhejiang Province, one of the five famous kilns at the time, produced various kinds of celadon products, including teapots, tea bowls, cups and trays, etc.

3) Black-porcelain tea sets:

In the Song Dynasty (960-1279), tea contest was prevalent in Fujian. Contestants believed that black-porcelain tea cup made in Jian’an was the most suitable ware to improve tea quality, thus such tea sets gradually gained a high reputation far and near. As described in the Record of Tea by Cai Xiang of the Song Dynasty, To make the water appear limpid, better use black-porcelain cups. Cups made in Jian’an are dark purple in color, with fine lines like rabbit hair. The most notable advantage of these cups is that they are hard to cool down if heated for a long time due to their thick base. Cups made in other places, either thin or of purple color, cannot compare to such cups. Contestants don not use celadon cups.

3. Lacquer Tea Sets:

Lacquer tea sets were put into use in the Qing Dynasty and mainly made in Fuzhou area of Fujian Province. Various kinds of lacquer tea sets were produced in Fuzhou, such as shining treasure sands, glazed spun gold, archaized porcelain, carved and paint and silver-embedded. After the adoption of new techniques, such as red gold dust and carved pattern of flowers, the tea sets became more colorful and lovable.

4. Glass Tea Sets:

In modern times, glass tea sets have gone through great development. Glass, transparent and with dazzling luster, is a plastic material used widely. Using glass cup to make tea, one can enjoy a good view of the bright color of the water and the tender tealeaves that are pushed up and down when water is poured in and then slowly stretch. Watching such a process is like appreciating a kind of dynamic art, especially when one makes top-grade tea. Mist rises from green water in the crystal-clear glass cup, with tender tea buds and leaves lying at the bottom. Glass tea sets have some disadvantages, such as breakable and easier to transfer heat than porcelain.

5. Metal Tea Sets:

Metal has great advantage over other materials in tea storage, and tin is the best one compared to all other metals such as gold, silver and copper. Tin pot is mostly made with small mouth and long neck together with a tube-shaped body. Such kind of airproof tin pot can guard tea against moisture, oxidation, light and peculiar smell. In the Tang Dynasty, imperial family drank Guzhu tea which should be made with water from the Jinsha Spring. The spring water was sent directly to Chang’an in unbreakable tin pots. But ordinary people could not afford such pots because they were too expensive.

6. Bamboo and Wooden Tea Sets:

In past days, large rural areas, including tea-producing areas, used bamboo or wooden tea sets to make tea because they were cheap but with good quality. But such tea sets are seldom used nowadays, except some bamboo and wooden pots that are used to store tea, especially teapots made of boxwood and reed-bamboo. These two kinds of pots are artworks, both precious presents to friends and practical articles for one’s own use.

In Chinese history, there were also tea sets made of jade, crystal and agate, but they did not play an important role in the evolution of tea sets because they were expensive, hard to make and of little practical value. These tea sets were mainly regarded as a luxury, boasting of their owners’ wealth.

The Chinese army predominantly used four classes of weapons, which were the Dao, Qiang, Jian and Ji.

The Dao (saber)

In ancient China, the Dao was one of the most widely used weapons. ‘Dao’ was a term that referred to any kind of long weapon. As a result, the Dao could be classified into many different weapons. A common Dao appeared like a short spear that was used in hand-to-hand combat and was not thrown at the opponent like a normal spear. Most of the Dao were long weapons that had blades mounted on their long shafts. Sometimes the Dao were similar to long swords; they had blades attached directly to their handles. The Dao was in many ways similar to the ’saber’. The blades of these weapons, even today, are considered as masterpieces by the iron smiths of the Chinese civilization.

Usage by the Chinese Army: The Dao was basically used by the army of ancient China in hand-to-hand combat. The weapon was put to use in combat to cut, slice, chop and even hack. The evolution of the Dao started in the Bronze age. It was regularly used by the troops until it was replaced, temporarily, by the Jian during the Zhou dynasty of Western China (11th century BC – 771 BC). However, the Chinese started realizing the importance of the cavalry during the end of the Qin Dynasty (221 BC – 206 BC) and the Jian did not meet the requirements of the cavalry. The Dao, thus, regained its importance in the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty. The Chinese cavalry started using a long Dao, that had a single sided blade mounted on its long shaft, while the infantry started using the broadsword which was also a type of the Dao. The Dao class weapons remained an important part of the Chinese arsenal till the 20th Century AD.

The Qiang (spear)

The Qiang, which was a type of spear, was another important weapon of the Chinese army. The Qiang class of spears were believed to have evolved from the prehistoric spear that was known as the ‘Mao’. The common Qiang could be described as a spear that had a long staff, and had a steel, iron, or bronze mounted tip.

Usage by the Chinese Army: The ‘Mao’ was a weapon that was used since prehistoric times. It was upgraded, according to the need, into many types of Qiang class spears during the Shang Dynasty (17th century BC – 11th century BC). At that time, the Qiang had a bronze tip. By the end of the Zhou Dynasty of Eastern China (770 BC – 256 BC), it was replaced with a steel tip. This weapon was so effective, that by the end of the Western Han Dynasty, the Qiang had replaced the Chinese halberd known as the ji. The Qiang was used by the Chinese army for long distance combat that involved throwing these spears, even after firearms were introduced by the Qin Dynasty.

The Jian(sword)

The Jian was the king of weapons in ancient China. Not only was this sword used for a very long time, but, it was also one of the greatest masterpieces of Chinese craftsmanship. It was also often known as the ’sovereign of blades’. The Jian was used by all, including the cavalry and the infantry, irrespective of the functions that the regiment performed. It was often considered as the primary weapon of the ancient Chinese civilization.

Usage by the Chinese Army: The Jian was popularized during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty that ended in 256 BC. Some of the greatest Jians were said to have been crafted during this period. Some of the greatest literatures of the warfare of swords, Yue Nu Jian and Jian Dao, were written during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC – AD 25). The importance of the Jian on the battlefield started declining during the Han Dynasty of Eastern China.

The Ji (halberd)

Ji is a weapon with a steel or bronze tip mounted on the end of a long shaft, next to which is attached a curved blade. Because of the attachment of the curved blade, the weapon can be used to both stab and slash. The shaft of ji used in chariots is longer than those used by infantry and cavalry. When two curved blades are attached on opposite sides of the tip, the weapon is referred to as double ji.

Ji was first used during the Shang Dynasty (17th century BC-11th century BC), when it was made of bronze. It was popularized during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 BC-256 BC), when it was made of steel instead. By the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 25), it fell out of use in war, and by the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589) it was replaced in its entirety by qiang (spear). Afterwards, it was used only as a weapon carried by ceremonial guards and as a weapon for martial artists.

The four basic weapons of ancient China are no longer used in combat but some of them, like the Jian, are used for ceremonial purposes. Martial arts institutes across China have re-developed the techniques of using these weapons. Today, there are very few of these weapons in existence. However, once upon a time, the four basic weapons of ancient China, established the supremacy of one of the biggest and most ancient civilizations of Southeast Asia.

Have you been invited to a fancy dress party? Are you lost for ideas of what to wear or where to get a costume? Don’t panic! Attending a fancy dress party can seem like a stressful experience but it certainly shouldn’t be; choosing a fancy dress costume is fun and affordable!

A costume party (American English) or a fancy dress party (British English), are extremely popular and it is important to decide on a dress that is unique, one of its kind, attention-grabbing and at the same time comfortable for you to carry throughout the party. As the name indicates, the fancy dress party’s main attraction is the costume.

The unique and fancy dress gives you the opportunity to let go of shyness and feeling of being absurd, and rather lets you enjoy the complete makeover of your personality. Fancy dress parties may or may not comprise of a theme or dress code. In case there is no specific dress code mentioned, you can enjoy the liberty of wearing whatsoever you want to at the party.

There can be numerous ideas on what to wear to your fancy dress party. You can decide on wearing anything in which you feel comfortable and at the same time unconventional as well. You can decide to wear straw skirts along with clothes with shells embedded on them. This costume can further be accompanied by garlands and other such interesting accessories around your neck and wrist. Likewise, men can choose to wear loose baggy clothes and short Bermudas. You can also adopt the look of cartoon or movie characters such as Hogwarts hero, Professor Snape, and the most famous Harry Potter as well.

One of the most interesting ideas for a fancy dress party is to adopt the Hollywood look. Hollywood actors and actresses are admired by all of us alike, and if you fancy any specific Hollywood actor or actresses, you can simply dress up like one of your favourites and make your entry at the fancy dress party in a unique and the most unconventional style.

The medieval style and aura for a fancy dress party is an extremely incredible idea. You can decide on wearing clothes having a medieval touch and can thus make your costume unique from others in an exciting way. Men can adopt the Mexican look as well by wearing clothes which include vibrant ponchos and sombreros. One another interesting idea or theme for a fancy dress part can be the fairy tale theme. According to this theme you can choose to wear clothes like the famous fairy tales characters such as Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, or even Cinderella. For boys, they can choose to dress up like the heroes in these fairy tale stories. The fairy tale theme is incredibly popular among children.

An interesting theme for grownups can be the Back-to-School look. According to this theme you can wear anything which gives you a look of school uniform and make you look like a school going child. You can also do up your hair styling in a way you used to do when you were in school. You can also carry small bag, lunch box, or even a water bottle to give yourself a complete Back-to-School look.

Not only children but even adults love the idea of dressing up like animals for a fancy dress party. You can simply choose to wear the costume of an animal you like and can pretend being one on the party.

No matter what you wear to your fancy dress party, one thing to remember is that you should always choose vibrant colours with unique prints. You can also make the addition of accessories like jewellery, face painting, masks, and hair styling etc to give a completely dynamic look to yourself at the fancy dress party.

Film 《Shanghai》cheongsam show

<Shanghai> is a drama-mystery-thriller film directed by Mikael Håfström, starring John Cusack and Gong Li, and produced by Thai film company Living Films. The film released first in China on June 17, 2010. A US release date hasn’t been set yet till now.

The John Cusack, Gong Li, Chow Yun Fat, Ken Watanabe, starring international star such as transnational giant system Die Hai Feng Yun is domestic eying, watercress on a number of friends may say is, Chong Gong Li to go, will not be disappointed. Before the early release, Gong Li, dressed in silver cheongsam posters overwhelming, tempting full; film, actor Cusack first saw this woman dressed in traditional costumes and equipment of Allure, instant Jibei fascinated; viewing After the audience will also lament: That’s good cheongsam U.S.. Oriental cheongsam is the best show important elements of female beauty, many beaches on the age of TV drama, to be put on a cheongsam show.

On June, 10, 2010 they hold a news conference in Beijing, on which holding a large qipao/cheongsam show.

Traditional qipao show staged in Taipei

On May.26, 2010

A student of Taiwan Tatung University performs during an originality cheongsam show held at the university in Taipei, southeast China’s Taiwan, May 25, 2010. (Xinhua/Wu Ching-teng)

A student of Taiwan Tatung University walks along the catwalk during an originality cheongsam show held at the university in Taipei, southeast China’s Taiwan, May 25, 2010. (Xinhua/Wu Ching-teng)

A student of Taiwan Tatung University walks along the catwalk during an originality cheongsam show held at the university in Taipei, southeast China’s Taiwan, May 25, 2010. (Xinhua/Wu Ching-teng)

Pearls are classic and vintage. They have always stood for romanticism and class. They can be worn with anything. They are perfect gifts for your wife, your daughter or your mother. They are suitable for almost all occasions, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, name it! Pearls will suit just fine. Pearls are even good accessories when you’re attending funerals!

So, whether you are considering buying pearls for yourself or for someone else, you should carefully consider your choices. You should know what kind of pearls you want and how to pick the best quality pearls.

Pearls are formed in oysters and mussels. They could be cultured, but most are formed naturally. They can be found in both fresh and natural waters.

What difference is there between fake pearls and real ones? How can you avoid the embarrassment of finding out the pearl necklace that you bought for your wife or girlfriend was an expensive imitation instead of genuine pearls?

1. Check the paperwork. Genuine pearl necklaces should come with paperwork guaranteeing their origin and quality and certifying the type of pearl they are. The certificate will say if they are natural or cultured pearls. Reliable online pearl jewelry retailers will provide this certification and have a return policy so you can examine the jewelry before deciding whether or not to keep it.

2. Test the pearls. To test whether a pearl is genuine or not rub it gently across the front of your tooth. An imitation one will feel smooth, whereas a real one, which is made of millions of tiny crystals built up in layers, will feel slightly gritty or sandy. A similar test that can be done on pearl necklaces involves gently rubbing one pearl against another to feel for the gritty texture.

3. Know the terminology. Here are some basic explanations that will help you recognize at a glance if the pearls you’re looking at are genuine or imitation:

• Faux pearls: (imitation) This term comes from the French meaning false pearls. They are imitation pearls which are made of plastic or glass beads either coated in paint or dipped in a mixture called pearl-essence, which is made from ground fish scales combined with a resin-like substance.

• Mallorca Pearls (imitation) are one of the better known brands of faux (false) pearls. They are amongst the better imitations.

• Mother of Pearl (imitation) beads are made from shells that have been cut and polished to form beads. These are not pearls.

• Cultured Pearls (genuine) These are real pearls that have grown in a mollusc either in the sea or in a freshwater body of water. They are grown with human supervision and protection and given a gem producing nudge by trained workers. These surgically insert a small piece of shell and/or a tiny piece of mantle tissue into the animal to provoke the growth of a pearl. Most of the genuine pearls on the market today are cultured.

• Natural Pearls (genuine) These are real pearls that have developed by accident in a mollusc without any human intervention. These are very rarely found these days. If a pearl is claimed to be natural make sure you check that it is from a reliable source and has been authenticated by an impartial body such as the GIA, which has the equipment needed to x-ray the gem if necessary. Prices for natural ones are much higher and they are usually bought by connoisseurs and collectors.

• Akoya Pearls (genuine) These are genuine cultured pearls, as are Hanadama, Tahitian and South Sea and Freshwater pearls. These are among the terms you will most frequently see when searching for genuine pearl jewelry online.

Even when pearls are genuine, not all are of the same quality. This is because there is no universally accepted and enforced standard of grading. If you’re looking for the highest quality gems, purchase from reputable shops that publish the standards they use to grade their gems. This will help you avoid disappointment. Or purchase from two or three shops with a good return policy and choose the best pearl necklace to keep and return the others.