Today’s brides can choose between edgy styles using Tahitian black or chocolate pearls, new designs in hairpins and tiaras, as well as timeless takes in earrings, bracelets, and necklaces.

But before you head out to your favorite jewelry store, you should know the scoop on how pearls are evaluated and rated, so you can make a great choice to fit your budget, dress, and your personality.

“Shopping for pearls is much more complicated than diamonds,” says Sam Temple, general manager of 70-year-old Sam S. Yampell Jewelers (856-429-2626; samyampelljewelers.com) in Haddonfield. According to Temple, there are many different types, including genuine cultured, freshwater, and South Sea pearls, which typically fall into a rose, cream, or white color range. Unlike diamonds, color is not the primary determining factor of a pearl’s value—luster is. In the case of cultured pearls—developed in 1893 by Kokichi Mikimoto, the founder of the Japanese firm that bears his name—the degree of luster is graded by the number of layers of nacre a pearl has. Nacre is what the oyster secretes as a result of a mother-of-pearl bead being inserted into the mantle. Accredited gemologists can tell by the pearl’s luster whether a certain size pearl is the result of a larger bead left in the oyster for a shorter amount of time (less expensive) or a smaller bead that has been developing more layers of nacre through time (more expensive). A strand of pearls becomes more valuable when the pearls are matched in size, shape, color, luster, and degree of blemishes. Blemishes exist in all pearls, says Temple, because they are organic creations. Sam S. Yampell’s pearl offerings range from $800 to $18,000.

Whether your pick is paired with diamonds, gemstones, or worn alone, pearls represent purity and innocence. According to Gia Broccoli of Iridesse Pearls (iridesse.com)—a Tiffany company with stores in Paramus, Atlantic City, and Short Hills—pearls have had a deep and historic role in weddings for hundreds of years. The newest Iridesse collections, priced from $100, reflect a spirited take, from cultured freshwater sterling-silver drop earrings, a delicate Victorian styled freshwater choker necklace, cultured Akoya pearl strands, and pearl stud earrings in yellow gold. Even the groom can get into the action, with black coin, or black or peach button pearl cufflinks.

According to Maureen Gribbon of Mikimoto America (mikimotoamerica.com), pearls are classically beautiful gems that speak to even the trendiest bride. Pearls never go out of style, and bridal pearl jewelry (worn by the bride or given as a gift to her bridesmaids) can be used and treasured for years to come. The Mikimoto line includes a range of colored gemstones and diamonds, starting at $250 for stud earrings. Mikimoto collections are carried by select New Jersey jewelers, including Frederick Goodman of Upper Montclair, Hartgers in Wyckoff, and Roman Jewelers in Flemington.