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Demystify Pearl pricing for a newb, please!

A

AllAboardTheBlingTrain

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 22, 2020
Messages
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I’m contemplating my first pearl strand purchase - likely a multicolour strand of south seas and Tahitians; but could also do the classic mono-colour strand.

I would like a graduated strand with a largish centre - 12-14mm maybe; and I don’t need absolutely top quality, i could do a level down (AAA / AA+? I don't know if that grading system holds for SS or not) as long as they’re relatively round with good lustre. I’m less picky about visible blemishes as long as they aren’t egregious. The only thing I don't like is circles/rings on the pearls - I'd go for an off round pearl before I go for one with circles. All other blemishes are fine within reason.

I’m out of money for a while so this is a project that I’m unlikely to put into action before next year. But I wanted to get an idea of how much it’ll cost me so I can save up for it! I have zero idea of what pearls should cost.

Questions:

1) ballpark what should I expect a strand like this to cost? Even the most rough estimate will do. Are we talking $2k or $20k? Is there a price that is so suspiciously low I definitely shouldn’t consider it?

2) what would be cheaper - a multicoloured strand or a mono coloured strand?

3) are south seas the same price as Tahitians? Are the prices between both colours of south seas the same?

Thank you so much for the help!!
 
Last edited:
I shall advise for you to contact @katbran via her IG or Etsy shop with your requirements, her IG page: https://www.instagram.com/pearlzaustralia/?hl=en

Have a look at her IG, and she was great to work with when I asked her to source a pair of drop-shaped White South Seas, highly recommended.

Based on my own experience with pearls:
- White South Seas are more expensive than Tahitians for the same size.
- The rounder the pearls, the more expensive they are.
- The cleaner the pearls, the more expensive they are.
- With all other things being equal, a multi-colour strand is likely to be cheaper than a mono-tonal one.
- A strand with uniform pearl size is more expensive than a graduated strand.

My go-to online vendor for pearls has been Pearl Paradise for many years, and had met Hisano and Jeremy in person, as well as visited PP in person back in 2016 when I attended a pearl related event, and spent a small fortune there.

Have a look at what they have listed on the website to see if they suit, bearing in mind that it is a fraction of what they have in stock in their vault!

Their prices are very reasonable with reliable photos.

They offer online shopping experience nowadays too.

Tahitians come in different colours, and my only holy grail in pearls is a nice strand of blues.

Have a look at this colour chart for colour inspiration, as seen in a pearl related message board, the colour that pops at me is the blue, middle row second from the left:

505046-94cbdbd93dc98d6ccf447771c68c1c4f.jpg

As for budget, I believe you should be able to get a nice strand of semi-round Tahitians for 5-6k USD, based on what you have described your likes and dislikes.

Enjoy pearl shopping, like other blings, it can be very additive!

DK :))
 
The problem is that AAA/AA+ or similar grading systems are not universal, so you should really think of them as within-vendor rather than between-vendor. It's very common that one vendor's AAA is another vendor's A+.

I get the sense you're looking for something that looks visually round but maybe doesn't need to be 100% round if you were to measure with calipers, with only surface blemishes, and of enough color difference to read as multicolor even in multiple lighting conditions. All Tahitians look more vivid in light boxes or indirect light, so make sure to get photos in different lighting conditions of the exact strand you would be receiving.

This whole thread may be helpful to you, but I wanted to share this photo in particular: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...or-vs-irl-pictures.205879/page-8#post-5265974

As for Tahitian vs White South Sea (WSS) vs Gold South Sea (GSS), I think the pricing differences between individual pearls or strands is bigger than between the types. I think top quality South Seas are generally more expensive than top quality Tahitians of the same size, but you could very easily find a Tahitian strand that costs much much more then a WSS or GSS strand. WSSs and GSSs can also get a little bigger.

I'm wondering if my recent preloved ombre strand purchase from Andrew Moline might be the kind of pearl quality level you're looking for. We called it a semi-near-round because there are some pearls of each, and while it isn't flawless by any stretch the blemishes aren't noticeable at normal viewing distances. The color differences are noticeable and hold up in all lighting and the luster, especially of the darker pearls, is really nice. They're only 10mm, and I'm 5'7"/171cm tall for reference.
1753203441273.png

1753203508378.png

1753204230456.png

He also went me a high-luster button WSS strand to look at, so not circles but also not 100% round. I haven't seen this shape in Tahitians as much. I think this strand would have been ~5x the price if they were round round:
1753204980913.png

1753205048812.png

I know that doesn't answer your question for pricing exactly, but that's because it's hard to answer without knowing the quality level you want -- and maybe you're still deciding the quality level you want, too! I think you could easily spend anywhere in that $2k-$20k range and the question is what the sweet spot is for you. Andrew has always been super helpful with explaining pricing differences to me and sharing photos, so I think you could always just start that chat even if you aren't ready to purchase yet. I bought my blue Akoya pair from him 4 years after I first messaged him about getting some :lol:
 
dk168 said:
I shall advise for you to contact @katbran via her IG or Etsy shop with your requirements, her IG page: https://www.instagram.com/pearlzaustralia/?hl=en

Have a look at her IG, and she was great to work with when I asked her to source a pair of drop-shaped White South Seas, highly recommended.

Based on my own experience with pearls:
- White South Seas are more expensive than Tahitians for the same size.
- The rounder the pearls, the more expensive they are.
- The cleaner the pearls, the more expensive they are.
- With all other things being equal, a multi-colour strand is likely to be cheaper than a mono-tonal one.
- A strand with uniform pearl size is more expensive than a graduated strand.

My go-to online vendor for pearls has been Pearl Paradise for many years, and had met Hisano and Jeremy in person, as well as visited PP in person back in 2016 when I attended a pearl related event, and spent a small fortune there.

Have a look at what they have listed on the website to see if they suit, bearing in mind that it is a fraction of what they have in stock in their vault!

Their prices are very reasonable with reliable photos.

They offer online shopping experience nowadays too.

Tahitians come in different colours, and my only holy grail in pearls is a nice strand of blues.

Have a look at this colour chart for colour inspiration, as seen in a pearl related message board, the colour that pops at me is the blue, middle row second from the left:

505046-94cbdbd93dc98d6ccf447771c68c1c4f.jpg

As for budget, I believe you should be able to get a nice strand of semi-round Tahitians for 5-6k USD, based on what you have described your likes and dislikes.

Enjoy pearl shopping, like other blings, it can be very additive!

DK :))
Click to expand...

I’m such a pearl newbie! I have a little pearl jewellery - an akoya pendant that was gifted to me, and by the end of the year I’ll have a Tahitian tin cup necklace (I got the pearls for an absolute joke of a price).

The issue for me living in India is that I will have to buy the pearls here, as shipping across borders is near impossible (and jewellery is entirely impossible!)

The info in bolded is really valuable to know, thank you!!

Side note - I love that blue! But the greeny one next to it is my fav.
dk168 said:
Just checked what are currently listed on PP's website, and this is the strand that should tick a number of your boxes:

https://www.pearlparadise.com/colle...lus-aaa-tahitian-drop-pearl-necklace-tdn-9014

There is a bigger strand, however, I would consider it as a multi-colour one based on the colour variations that I could observe, and am not a fan of multi-colours:

https://www.pearlparadise.com/colle...0-16-0-mm-aa-aaa-tahitian-drop-pearl-necklace

DK :))
Click to expand...

To me the 14-16mm is a great size but I wouldn’t go for that as a multicolour. I meant a strand that is a mix of WSS, GSS and Ts. The 12-14mm strand is probably the minimum size that would work for me. The price is great! I’d be very comfortable at that price point, but I think I wouldn’t do a strand of just Tahitians, since I will have the tin cup as well.

Thank you for the help!!
 
newtojewels said:
The problem is that AAA/AA+ or similar grading systems are not universal, so you should really think of them as within-vendor rather than between-vendor. It's very common that one vendor's AAA is another vendor's A+.

I get the sense you're looking for something that looks visually round but maybe doesn't need to be 100% round if you were to measure with calipers, with only surface blemishes, and of enough color difference to read as multicolor even in multiple lighting conditions. All Tahitians look more vivid in light boxes or indirect light, so make sure to get photos in different lighting conditions of the exact strand you would be receiving.

This whole thread may be helpful to you, but I wanted to share this photo in particular: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...or-vs-irl-pictures.205879/page-8#post-5265974

As for Tahitian vs White South Sea (WSS) vs Gold South Sea (GSS), I think the pricing differences between individual pearls or strands is bigger than between the types. I think top quality South Seas are generally more expensive than top quality Tahitians of the same size, but you could very easily find a Tahitian strand that costs much much more then a WSS or GSS strand. WSSs and GSSs can also get a little bigger.

I'm wondering if my recent preloved ombre strand purchase from Andrew Moline might be the kind of pearl quality level you're looking for. We called it a semi-near-round because there are some pearls of each, and while it isn't flawless by any stretch the blemishes aren't noticeable at normal viewing distances. The color differences are noticeable and hold up in all lighting and the luster, especially of the darker pearls, is really nice. They're only 10mm, and I'm 5'7"/171cm tall for reference.
1753203441273.png

1753203508378.png

1753204230456.png

He also went me a high-luster button WSS strand to look at, so not circles but also not 100% round. I haven't seen this shape in Tahitians as much. I think this strand would have been ~5x the price if they were round round:
1753204980913.png

1753205048812.png

I know that doesn't answer your question for pricing exactly, but that's because it's hard to answer without knowing the quality level you want -- and maybe you're still deciding the quality level you want, too! I think you could easily spend anywhere in that $2k-$20k range and the question is what the sweet spot is for you. Andrew has always been super helpful with explaining pricing differences to me and sharing photos, so I think you could always just start that chat even if you aren't ready to purchase yet. I bought my blue Akoya pair from him 4 years after I first messaged him about getting some :lol:
Click to expand...

Aaaah thank you for all the info!! Super helpful!!

You’ve hit the nail on the head with what I’m looking for. I don’t want pearls that look chalky or “fake-like”. When I said multicolour, I meant a strand with WSS, GSS and Ts; or maybe an ombré strand after seeing your beautiful one!

But that picture from the other thread is actually insane. I would never have guessed that it would look SO different. I do have some Tahitians, and they do look better or worse in different lighting, but this difference is egregious. I’m going to go through the whole thread now.

I adore both your strands. The lustre is absolutely bang on for what I want, I could maybe settle for a bit less if I have to, but those are some spectacular pearls. I think semi near round is spot on for what I’m looking for.

I also really like your ombré strand and now I’m wondering, what if I did an ombré gold to white south sea? I do have some Tahitians already like I said, so I don’t need Tahitians particularly.

I think I’m basically deciding everything! I bought an insanely expensive bracelet just now so I’m on ban island for a long while but I know so little about pearls I’m just exploring my options for now.

I wish I could buy from Moline but I can’t :( the customs issue being what it is.
 
AllAboardTheBlingTrain said:
Aaaah thank you for all the info!! Super helpful!!

You’ve hit the nail on the head with what I’m looking for. I don’t want pearls that look chalky or “fake-like”. When I said multicolour, I meant a strand with WSS, GSS and Ts; or maybe an ombré strand after seeing your beautiful one!

But that picture from the other thread is actually insane. I would never have guessed that it would look SO different. I do have some Tahitians, and they do look better or worse in different lighting, but this difference is egregious. I’m going to go through the whole thread now.

I adore both your strands. The lustre is absolutely bang on for what I want, I could maybe settle for a bit less if I have to, but those are some spectacular pearls. I think semi near round is spot on for what I’m looking for.

I also really like your ombré strand and now I’m wondering, what if I did an ombré gold to white south sea? I do have some Tahitians already like I said, so I don’t need Tahitians particularly.

I think I’m basically deciding everything! I bought an insanely expensive bracelet just now so I’m on ban island for a long while but I know so little about pearls I’m just exploring my options for now.

I wish I could buy from Moline but I can’t :( the customs issue being what it is.
Click to expand...

First, I wish I had the WSS strand! Sadly I couldn't afford both that and the ombre, and I chose to prioritize the ombre for now. But someday!

The egregious strand in the PS link is both an issue where the listing photo was an example strand rather than the exact strand received and the lighting was super flattering. For multicolors, I think seeing your exact strand would be super important. I think golds and whites generally hold up better across lighting, it's Tahitians that can all end up turning grey.

I've seen photos of gold to white south sea ombre strands before and they look gorgeous, I sadly haven't seen one in person. I've also seen photos of tricolors with Tahitians. I'm not suggesting this vendor, they just have a bunch of photos of a fairly large GSS/WSS ombre to give you an idea:
www.mauidivers.com

32" South Sea White and South Sea Gold Pearl Strand - 11-12mm

Indulge in this exquisite ombre South Sea White and Gold Pearl Strand. Each pearl in this 32" strand is curated, creating an eye-catching look. Made in Hawaiʻi
www.mauidivers.com www.mauidivers.com
1753207857751.png

Here's an example where the main listing photo is actually stolen from Assael and has nothing to do with the necklace actually being sold: https://shop.popejewelers.com/tahitian-south-sea-ombre-pearls-18k-125ctw-diamond.html

Bummer about customs. Come to the US for a visit and bring the ban island bracelet so we can see! :lol: I'm sure you know much more than I do about whether or not importing is worth it, but I do know that several PS members find it better to purchase from the US. That was before the tariffs mess, though, and I don't know how true it would be for pearls specifically.

Regardless, have fun learning and dreaming in the meantime!
 
newtojewels said:
First, I wish I had the WSS strand! Sadly I couldn't afford both that and the ombre, and I chose to prioritize the ombre for now. But someday!

The egregious strand in the PS link is both an issue where the listing photo was an example strand rather than the exact strand received and the lighting was super flattering. For multicolors, I think seeing your exact strand would be super important. I think golds and whites generally hold up better across lighting, it's Tahitians that can all end up turning grey.

I've seen photos of gold to white south sea ombre strands before and they look gorgeous, I sadly haven't seen one in person. I've also seen photos of tricolors with Tahitians. I'm not suggesting this vendor, they just have a bunch of photos of a fairly large GSS/WSS ombre to give you an idea:
www.mauidivers.com

32" South Sea White and South Sea Gold Pearl Strand - 11-12mm

Indulge in this exquisite ombre South Sea White and Gold Pearl Strand. Each pearl in this 32" strand is curated, creating an eye-catching look. Made in Hawaiʻi
www.mauidivers.com www.mauidivers.com
1753207857751.png

Here's an example where the main listing photo is actually stolen from Assael and has nothing to do with the necklace actually being sold: https://shop.popejewelers.com/tahitian-south-sea-ombre-pearls-18k-125ctw-diamond.html

Bummer about customs. Come to the US for a visit and bring the ban island bracelet so we can see! :lol: I'm sure you know much more than I do about whether or not importing is worth it, but I do know that several PS members find it better to purchase from the US. That was before the tariffs mess, though, and I don't know how true it would be for pearls specifically.

Regardless, have fun learning and dreaming in the meantime!
Click to expand...

Thank you for all your help!! I love that ombre gold to white. I think I’d want a shorter strand and bigger pearls though, but I love the look.

That assael necklace is what dreams are made of!! I’m sure it’ll be unaffordable in this lifetime though :D

I’d posted a pic of the ban island bracelet the other week, but I usually take my pics down, so I don’t know if you had a chance to see it. It was a tennis bracelet of sorts!

India is actually an excellent market to buy most jewellery related things if you have good sources. I do for WSS and GSS, and could likely find a good source for Tahitians too if I tried.
 
AllAboardTheBlingTrain said:
Thank you for all your help!! I love that ombre gold to white. I think I’d want a shorter strand and bigger pearls though, but I love the look.

That assael necklace is what dreams are made of!! I’m sure it’ll be unaffordable in this lifetime though :D

I’d posted a pic of the ban island bracelet the other week, but I usually take my pics down, so I don’t know if you had a chance to see it. It was a tennis bracelet of sorts!

India is actually an excellent market to buy most jewellery related things if you have good sources. I do for WSS and GSS, and could likely find a good source for Tahitians too if I tried.
Click to expand...

I sadly missed it, but congratulations!

If you have a good source for WSS and GSS, maybe the ombre of your dreams is in your reach! :kiss2:
 
newtojewels said:
I sadly missed it, but congratulations!

If you have a good source for WSS and GSS, maybe the ombre of your dreams is in your reach! :kiss2:
Click to expand...

Thank you!!

I will reach out to price an ombré WSS to GSS when I’m closer to buying! I know right now it’s out of reach no matter what price it is.

For the kind of quality I seem to like - like your beautiful ombré strand, what kind of price do you think I could expect? A single strand, not a double, but bigger pearls (around 14mm). I just want to make sure that I’m not being hosed or that a price isn’t suspiciously low lol.
 
AllAboardTheBlingTrain said:
Thank you!!

I will reach out to price an ombré WSS to GSS when I’m closer to buying! I know right now it’s out of reach no matter what price it is.

For the kind of quality I seem to like - like your beautiful ombré strand, what kind of price do you think I could expect? A single strand, not a double, but bigger pearls (around 14mm). I just want to make sure that I’m not being hosed or that a price isn’t suspiciously low lol.
Click to expand...

14mm pearls are big and big pearls are expensive! Going up a millimeter gets more and more expensive as you go bigger. I can't imagine it being much less than $20k USD for the strand you described. If you're willing to go smaller or more graduated or more baroque or less luster or more flawed, that would help. And of course I don't know about your pricing over there.

Here are a few examples:

I don't know this jeweler. These are fairly round and big (15-15.5mm) with a straight size but quite flawed, and it's $8k. Hard to say much about the luster from this photo but I'm guessing it isn't amazing. And remember that all else being equal, Tahitians don't tend to be as expensive as GSSs: https://sevenseaspearls.com/tahitian-south-sea-pearl-ombre-necklace-15-15-5-mm-aaa/?gQT=1
1753290239736.png

Here are two multicolor WSS/GSS strands from Pearl Paradise. Multicolor strands will generally be less expensive than ombre, all else being equal, but I'm using these as an example because they're the same size from the same vendor so you can see what you get by doubling the budget.

12-15.5mm baroque strand for $9875: https://www.pearlparadise.com/colle...-golden-south-sea-semi-baroque-pearl-necklace
1753290400248.png

12.2-15.2mm round strand for $19,800: https://www.pearlparadise.com/colle...ite-and-golden-south-sea-round-pearl-necklace
1753290459571.png
 
I'll just ditto everything @newtojewels has said ❤️

And add one point - 14mm pearls would be huge and heavy! You might try some pearls (or really any beads) on for size, if you can, see if this is really the size you're looking for. This is an extremely unusual size for a necklace.

Finding enough pearls to make a pleasing ombre in this size - with the exact right colours, all at the same quality - will be incredibly difficult. I've got a feeling it'll come down to availability more than cost, to be honest. The other thing to consider is that with such big pearls you'll use far fewer total, meaning that the graduation in any ombre will be much "less gradual". Makes getting the colours bang on for as much "graduation" as possible that much more crucial.
 
newtojewels said:
14mm pearls are big and big pearls are expensive! Going up a millimeter gets more and more expensive as you go bigger. I can't imagine it being much less than $20k USD for the strand you described. If you're willing to go smaller or more graduated or more baroque or less luster or more flawed, that would help. And of course I don't know about your pricing over there.

Here are a few examples:

I don't know this jeweler. These are fairly round and big (15-15.5mm) with a straight size but quite flawed, and it's $8k. Hard to say much about the luster from this photo but I'm guessing it isn't amazing. And remember that all else being equal, Tahitians don't tend to be as expensive as GSSs: https://sevenseaspearls.com/tahitian-south-sea-pearl-ombre-necklace-15-15-5-mm-aaa/?gQT=1
1753290239736.png

Here are two multicolor WSS/GSS strands from Pearl Paradise. Multicolor strands will generally be less expensive than ombre, all else being equal, but I'm using these as an example because they're the same size from the same vendor so you can see what you get by doubling the budget.

12-15.5mm baroque strand for $9875: https://www.pearlparadise.com/colle...-golden-south-sea-semi-baroque-pearl-necklace
1753290400248.png

12.2-15.2mm round strand for $19,800: https://www.pearlparadise.com/colle...ite-and-golden-south-sea-round-pearl-necklace
1753290459571.png
Click to expand...

Oh I thought 14 was big but not enormous. I have an imitation baroque strand and I measured the most symmetrical pearl on there and it was 14mm, and I liked that size a lot! But I might need to revise my expectations lower, to a 12 or 13mm strand if price becomes an issue. Or a double strand with smaller pearls, if that’s more affordable. I would probably compromise a bit and go more baroque/off round and become more ok with blemishes, particularly towards the back. I would have a certain minimum standard for lustre I think though. That’s like, the beauty of pearls!

I see what you mean about the difference in pricing! I don’t know what kind of pricing I can get here because I haven’t been in the market before. But I think 8-10k is the absolute minimum it’ll set me back for a good strand, so I’ll have to save up a bit. My Tahitian pearl bracelet I got for an absolute song but it was at a garage clearance sale and I think the seller thought they were fake pearls (surprisingly turned out to be real). So that’s not an accurate price gauge for the market :/

Thank you for your help and input!
 
yssie said:
I'll just ditto everything @newtojewels has said ❤️

And add one point - 14mm pearls would be huge and heavy! You might try some pearls (or really any beads) on for size, if you can, see if this is really the size you're looking for. This is an extremely unusual size for a necklace.

Finding enough pearls to make a pleasing ombre in this size - with the exact right colours, all at the same quality - will be incredibly difficult. I've got a feeling it'll come down to availability more than cost, to be honest. The other thing to consider is that with such big pearls you'll use far fewer total, meaning that the graduation in any ombre will be much "less gradual". Makes getting the colours bang on for as much "graduation" as possible that much more crucial.
Click to expand...

I’m a size ho :lol: I could go a bit smaller but I would do that only if it was otherwise utterly unaffordable or unavailable. I do think my standards for pearls are lower than yours, yssie - yours are in the PS hall of fame! But I come by my size desires honestly - my mom’s WSS strand is 14-17mm! :lol: I think being Indian has prepared my neck and shoulders for wearing heavy necklaces - I used to dislike it but over time I’ve had no choice but to get used to it lol nothing can be heavier than those traditional jadau pieces.

I might do the multicolour strand if ombre proves to be impossible, or go for smaller pearls in a double strand. 2 lines of 10mm might prove to be the more sensible option, but I’d love a single 13/14mm strand if I could!

Thank you for your advice!
 
AllAboardTheBlingTrain said:
I’m a size ho :lol: I could go a bit smaller but I would do that only if it was otherwise utterly unaffordable or unavailable. I do think my standards for pearls are lower than yours, yssie - yours are in the PS hall of fame! But I come by my size desires honestly - my mom’s WSS strand is 14-17mm! :lol: I think being Indian has prepared my neck and shoulders for wearing heavy necklaces - I used to dislike it but over time I’ve had no choice but to get used to it lol nothing can be heavier than those traditional jadau pieces.

I might do the multicolour strand if ombre proves to be impossible, or go for smaller pearls in a double strand. 2 lines of 10mm might prove to be the more sensible option, but I’d love a single 13/14mm strand if I could!

Thank you for your advice!
Click to expand...

ombre is my dream
@MakingTheGrade has my ultimate ombre strand
1753308169147.jpeg
 
All of the advice given thus far has been excellent, but thought I'd drop a little vendor perspective.

As far as a custom project goes, you'll find a difficult time asking any vendor to do an ombre custom to a "PS standard" sight unseen. This is challenging for all involved because a vendor doesn't necessarily want to commit to a high level of pearls that they will be "stuck" with if the final composition wasn't really loved.

And, a buyer might feel guilty about not loving something - or, worse, also be stuck with a piece that didn't come together as well as it might have been hoped. Pearls are a very challenging thing to do as custom assembly because it's a very binary sort of project - either they work or they don't. You can't do a recut, swap a stone, melt something and carve again.

All this to say - if it's an ombre you're looking for, may be easier on you at some point to look and find something that is assembled and available. The same with a multicolor to an extent.

It's also worth noting the vivid color types in Tahitians are exponentially more rare the larger the pearl becomes. 8/9/10mm, colors can be pretty sweet. 11/12 it becomes a challenge to find nice colors. 12+ it becomes markedly more difficult.

If you're looking for 15mm in Tahitians, it's going to be so, so challenging to find them in 1. any colors one finds generally attractive and 2. any blemishing level that isn't probably up to what most PSers would enjoy having in their jewelry.

Not to dissuade you from pursuing what you want, of course. I won't comment on any specific pricing since I'm biased, but at the sizes you're looking for assuming an 18" strand I'd be highly suspect of anything below 5-figures.

Enjoy the search!
 
AllAboardTheBlingTrain said:
I’m a size ho :lol:
Click to expand...

Oh me too, I get this :bigsmile:

Your mum doesn't ever need to lift weights - she can just wear those pearl boulders for a couple hours every day! Oh my goodness that is huge!!

Would you be up for a long term project? Or a Tiffany sprinkle style necklace with varying size pearls? For me the collecting is the fun part - and that'd give you freedom to cherry-pick the best of any category you like.
 
molinePDG said:
All of the advice given thus far has been excellent, but thought I'd drop a little vendor perspective.

As far as a custom project goes, you'll find a difficult time asking any vendor to do an ombre custom to a "PS standard" sight unseen. This is challenging for all involved because a vendor doesn't necessarily want to commit to a high level of pearls that they will be "stuck" with if the final composition wasn't really loved.

And, a buyer might feel guilty about not loving something - or, worse, also be stuck with a piece that didn't come together as well as it might have been hoped. Pearls are a very challenging thing to do as custom assembly because it's a very binary sort of project - either they work or they don't. You can't do a recut, swap a stone, melt something and carve again.

All this to say - if it's an ombre you're looking for, may be easier on you at some point to look and find something that is assembled and available. The same with a multicolor to an extent.

It's also worth noting the vivid color types in Tahitians are exponentially more rare the larger the pearl becomes. 8/9/10mm, colors can be pretty sweet. 11/12 it becomes a challenge to find nice colors. 12+ it becomes markedly more difficult.

If you're looking for 15mm in Tahitians, it's going to be so, so challenging to find them in 1. any colors one finds generally attractive and 2. any blemishing level that isn't probably up to what most PSers would enjoy having in their jewelry.

Not to dissuade you from pursuing what you want, of course. I won't comment on any specific pricing since I'm biased, but at the sizes you're looking for assuming an 18" strand I'd be highly suspect of anything below 5-figures.

Enjoy the search!
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Thank you so much for weighing in! I really appreciate the vendor perspective. That’s why I post here, for expert advice (vendor and prosumer alike).

Living in India, since I’m constrained to local vendors, I’ll definitely not be buying sight unseen. I’d rather reserve the ability to pick and choose and put together a strand in the pickiest fashion, unless I luck out and I can find a beautiful ombre or multicolour already assembled.

Good to know this about Tahitians! I think I’ve mostly decided against a Tahitian ombre, as beautiful as it looks, because I have/will have a Tahitian tin cup, and then it feels redundant to also have a tahitian strand. I should go and measure the pearls once the necklace is back, to see what size they are, because they’re a touch too small / definitely minimum acceptable size for a single strand necklace for me. My guess is that they’re about 10mm.

5 figures US is probably what I would expect to run to, as well, unless I am happy with a lower quality than PS quality in person. I don’t really know enough about pearls to know what is the minimum quality I would be happy with. Will it make a material difference to the price if I did 2 strands of 10mm vs a single strand of 14mm?
 
yssie said:
Oh me too, I get this :bigsmile:

Your mum doesn't ever need to lift weights - she can just wear those pearl boulders for a couple hours every day! Oh my goodness that is huge!!

Would you be up for a long term project? Or a Tiffany sprinkle style necklace with varying size pearls? For me the collecting is the fun part - and that'd give you freedom to cherry-pick the best of any category you like.
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I don’t mind a long term project. I wouldn’t pick this up before next year at the earliest - I spent all my money on a diamond bracelet this year, proudly living up to the size ho tag :lol-2: (wish PS had a PM function, I’d have loved to get your opinion on the bracelet! I did my post and pull method so it was up for about a day but I don’t think you saw it) plus I’d already greenlighted my pearl bracelet to necklace conversion so once that’s ready I’ll have to pay for that as well :lol: so I could do a thing where I collect pearls over time. I don’t like sprinkle necklaces though.

I don’t think I really know the meaning of delicate jewellery lol. It’s lost on me. Everything is like the bigger and bolder the better.
 
MakingTheGrade said:
Thanks! I love it and the size feels plenty substantial to me for what it’s worth.
Forgot to add price wise it was 4-5k but that was also 4-5 years ago.
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I’ll go try on strands and see what feels right. Ultimately I’ll go with the smallest size that I think looks good on me!

4-5k would be a very comfortable price point, but I think difficult to achieve for the look I want and as you mentioned, that was a few years ago. But I think you got a stunning piece and at a really good price for what it is!
 
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