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The pearl oyster that grows these gems is the largest used in pearl farming. They are farmed in remote areas of Australia, the Philippines, Indonesia and a few other countries. South Sea pearls are the largest and most valuable of all pearls farmed today. Unless you’re the type that starts at the top. South Sea pearls are not what I would typically recommend for a first strand of pearls. I have a feeling if you’re looking for a South Sea pearl necklace, you’ve already done a bit of pearl research and you’ve likely purchased pearls in the past. View Our Collection of Freshwater Pearl Necklaces If you were to compare a strand of 7-8 mm pearls with a strand measuring 7.5-8 mm (our most popular), the latter would be noticeably larger, shinier and more round. You’re only going to find those colors (naturally) in freshwater pearls.įine quality freshwater pearls are almost always sorted in half millimeter sizes, and this makes a big difference in value. Not only do they offer the akoya look at a lower price, they also commonly grow in natural pastel colors. If this is the first strand of pearls for you or someone you’re shopping for, consider freshwater. The finest, like those we refer to as “freshadama,” are nearly indistinguishable from fine akoya pearls in shape, color and luster. They aren’t as round as akoya because they don’t have a bead in the center. If you’ve seen freshwater pearls in a store, you probably think freshwater pearls are all weird shapes and not very shiny. Most akoya oysters only grow one or two at a time. Why are they considered less valuable? A freshwater shell can grow dozens of pearls at a time. How so? Freshwater pearls are traditionally grown without a bead.
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View Our Collection of Akoya Pearl Necklacesįreshwater pearls have been around nearly as long as akoya, but have never been considered quite as valuable, even though they are more “pearl” than akoya. Unless you’re purchasing a strand for a young lady, I would caution against going much smaller.
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The most popular size of akoya pearl necklace is 7-7.5 mm, while 8-8.5 mm takes a close second. These are considered very rare and you will have a very hard time finding them in a jewelry store. Nearly all akoya are perfectly round and white, but exotic natural-color blues, silver-blues, golds and baroques exist. I should mention this side note about akoya pearls. It is still subjective and even when graded by a laboratory, there is a wide range. Wait! Does this mean you can comparison price shop hanadama grade pearls? Not so much, unfortunately. The finest akoya pearls are called “hanadama” by the trade. The pearls might look similar in the beginning, but they won’t last more than a couple of years.
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But many (too many) farmers harvest after only a few months. Do you remember the part about a seller’s reputation?Īkoya pearl oysters are seeded with a perfect round bead and put back into the water for (hopefully) a period of 1.5-2 years. It’s also a proof-positive indicator of whether the pearls spent enough time in their mother oyster. This is the most important factor in choosing an akoya pearl necklace. Luster is the quantity and quality of light that reflects from the surface of the pearl. Legitimate retailers will have a lot written about them online.Īkoya pearls are known for their color, shape and most of all their luster. You can quickly determine whether a pearl seller is known to offer fine quality at an affordable value, and whether they stand behind their products. If shopping online, Google is your best friend in this regard. What you can use for comparison shopping is reputation. Pearl grading is subjective and every company selling pearls (on the planet) grades differently. A pearl necklace graded AAA by one retailer might only be worth 1/10th the value of a necklace graded the same by another. You cannot comparison shop by grade alone. But here’s the catch! Unlike diamonds, there is no industry standard for grading pearls. They include size, shape, color, luster, surface quality, nacre quality and matching. In pearl grading, there are seven value factors. You’re probably familiar with the four C’s of diamond grading: cut, color, carat weight and clarity. It doesn’t make sense, does it? Well there is a reason. Some companies grade with letters, others grade with numbers and some companies don’t post any grades at all. If you’ve spent much time browsing stores and other websites, you’ve probably seen grading scales that appear to be all over the place.