How Much Do Cultured Pearls Cost?
If andou are new to the world of pearls, you have probably taken a look at the prices from different stores or websites and are feeling confused, as the prices vary greatly.
If you dedicate a few minutes to me, I promise to solve all your questions about how much do the pearls cost.
The first confusion we need to clarify is that what you see in jewelry stores are cultured pearls, no natural. The cultivation or encouragement of oysters to produce pearls is a practice that has been carried out for over 100 years. While it is true that natural pearls exist, they are extremely rare, and a necklace of natural pearls of acceptable quality can cost more than one million dollars.
Having clarified this, let's explain the reasons why there are cultured pearl necklaces that cost just 100 euros and others that cost hundreds of thousands.
To understand how much a pearl costs, it is necessary for you to first know the 7 quality factors of pearls.
Discover our collection of Pearl Necklaces
The value of a pearl is determined by the combination of 7 factors that determine its quality, and additionally, it is also important to consider its origin.
Let's start with the factors.
How much is a pearl worth according to its quality?
Remember that it is the combination of the 7 factors that determines how much the pearls cost.
- Shine: The intensity of the light reflected on the surface of a pearl. We mention luster first because we consider it very important; if a pearl does not shine, it is not of quality. When the other factors are equal, if a pearl shines more, it is more valuable.
- Size: Detailed in millimeters and with up to two decimal places. The larger a pearl is, the greater its value.
You can find pearls ranging from 2mm to over 30mm
- Shape: Referred to as Round, Semi-round, Oval, Button, Drop, Semi – Baroque and Barrocas. Pearls that do not fall into these categories are described by their shape, for example, coin pearls are called that because they resemble a coin. Generally speaking, the rounder a pearl is, the higher its value.
- Surface: The quantity, size, and location of the imperfections present in a pearl. The fewer imperfections, the smaller their size, and the lower the percentage of its surface that a pearl has, the greater its value.
- Color: While color does not affect the quality of a pearl, certain shades can be more valuable than others. For example, in the golden variety of South Sea pearls, the more intense the golden color, the higher its value.
Discover all the colors that pearls come in
- Quality and thickness of the mother-of-pearl: Most freshwater pearls are entirely made of nacre, so they are not affected by this factor. However, to obtain certain freshwater pearls and all saltwater pearls, a nucleus must be included that the oyster covers with nacre. The thicker and higher quality the nacre, the greater the value of the pearl.
- Matched: The uniformity of the pearls in a necklace or in pieces that contain several pearls. This task, which may seem simple, is actually very difficult. It can take years to gather the pearls needed to create a necklace of large, high-quality pearls, as both the color, shine, shape, and the number of imperfections must be similar in each pearl.
See round freshwater cultured pearl bracelet 8.5 - 9.5 mm
Now that you know a bit about the 7 factors, you will better understand why earrings or a necklace with 6 mm pearls that barely shine, are not very round, and have visible imperfections over much of their surface, are immensely cheaper than those with 13 mm pearls whose 7 factors are optimal.
How much do pearls cost according to their origin?
Before I start talking to you about the different origins of pearls, I would like to clarify that the origin does not intervene in the quality. Quality is determined by the factors we have discussed.
All types of pearls have their advantages and they should not be compared to each other, but in many cases they cannot be compared to each other due to their color and size.
For example, pearls Tahiti, they are the only pearls of dark tones natural (undyed), therefore, if you are looking for dark-colored pearls, you only have this option. The same applies if you are looking for pearls of golden color, the only option is pearls australianas of golden variety. And once again, if you are looking for pearls in pastel colors, lavender color o peach, you will only find them at Freshwater.
Since pearls are created by mollusks of different species, using different cultivation methods and in different countries, it is easy to understand that some types of pearls are scarcer y faces of production that others, and therefore, their price is higher.
As a general rule, as long as the quality is similar, the order of the types of pearls and their value it would be the following:
- Sweet Water: Normally freshwater pearls tend to be the most affordable, as mussels can produce many pearls at once and production costs are lower. Within this group, there is an exception, the freshwater type pearls. Edison, whose cultivation is more complex and each mussel only produces one pearl.
- Akoya: The following pearls that we found are the Akoya, especially the medium-sized ones of 7 mm and produced in China, since those produced in Japan tend to be of higher quality and reach much higher prices. Large sizes are very rare and their prices are usually very high.
- Tahiti: These pearls are produced in French Polynesia, although in recent years, due to the increase in production, the pearls Tahiti they have become more accessible, especially in lower qualities. However, high-quality and large-sized ones still reach very high prices.
- Australians: Finally, we would have to the queen of gems. The pearls of Sea of the South, commonly misnamed Australian pearls, as not all are produced in Australia, are usually the largest pearls and those that most frequently reach record prices.
See Keshi Freshwater Cultured Pearl Pendant 14-16 mm
If you have read this far, you will understand that this is only a guideline, as I have explained, the price also depends on the quality and each pearl is different. Therefore, when buying pearls or pendientes de perlas It is important that you choose a brand that can provide you with all the information you need.
In Secret & You we are experts in pearls, graduated from the GUIDE and backed by three generations of experience importing pearls directly from producers, we ensure to provide the best information and assistance you need to make the right decision.
