Demystify Pearl pricing for a newb, please!

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

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!!

 

[dk168]

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:



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

 

[dk168]

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

 

[newtojewels]

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.






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:




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

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

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:



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

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.

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

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!!

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

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.






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:




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

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.

 

[newtojewels]

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.

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:

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

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! 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!

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

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:

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

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! 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!

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

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.

 

[newtojewels]

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

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.

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!

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

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!

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.