Pearl Overtones

Q: When looking at selecting earrings your site has an option for "overtone". I can't find what that refers to.

A: Overtone refers to subtle differences in the colour of pearls which on white pearls, is most often silver, rose, or ivory. The pearls have a white bodycolour but with slightly differing hues which can be seen on the surface. Silver overtone is a bright, optic white, rose will have just a slight pinky blush on the surface, and ivory is a bit more creamy in colour. The overtone choice is based on personal preference and doesn’t really effect the overall value of the pearls. When selecting the overtone for your purchase, a good rule of thumb is to select the pearls that complimentary to the skin tone. Silver overtone is good for someone with yellow undertones or ruddy skin. Ivory is nice on those with cool skin tones. If the pearls are a gift or for any other reason you aren’t sure of the overtone, rose is the most universally flattering.

There is a page on Pearl Paradise that shows the value factors for grading pearls and examples of these overtones. If you would like to look at those pictures before making your selection, I have included the link to that page below:
http://www.pearlparadise.com/pearlqualityguide2.html