The Pearl Buying Guide by Renee Newman (1994, Paperback)

This book is a great source for information on pearls and a neccessity for those who are wishing to buy pearls. This will save you money as it teaches you how to determine value. It is a wonderful sequel to the 2nd edition. It discusses all types of pearls, pearl care, pearl quality, pearl value, and includes a quiz after most chapters. It discusses specific types of pearls like Misaki and Mikura as well as general types like black, mabe, akoya, cultured, and natural pearls. It goes into great depth about the new freshwater pearls like those from freshwaterpearls.com.

This book is initially published in 1992, and now in a completely updated and expanded fourth edition, Pearl Buying Guide: How To Evaluate, Identify And Select Pearls & Pearl Jewelry is a handy, no-nonsense guide to purchasing quality pearl jewelry at an appropriate price. Written in plain terms accessible to the lay reader, and filled with color photographs, Pearl Buying Guide presents the wisdom and experience of a professional gemologist in its simple instructions on how to tell a fake pearl from a real one, how to select high quality pearls, how to compare pearls and prices, and much more. An absolute "must-read" for any consumer determined to invest his or her hard-earned money in fine pearl adornments.

This book should definetly be bought.