How much does a pearl necklace cost? The pearl necklace is a piece of jewelry that is rarely missing in a woman’s drawer. It is not strange, therefore, that those who want to buy one wonder how much a pearl necklace is. Of course, it is easy to understand that the question, posed in this way, is a bit generic. For two reasons: pearls are not all the same and have huge price differences. Furthermore, the price is also determined by two other factors: the number of pearls used and their size. That said, let’s see how to understand what the true price of a pearl necklace can be.
If you have searched the web for the cost of a pearl necklace you will have noticed that there are necklaces that cost a few tens of euros or dollars, up to thousands of euros or dollars. So what does it depend on?
The quality of the pearls
The price of a pearl necklace is primarily determined by the quality of the small beads used. Natural uncultivated pearls, those found at the bottom of the sea by an underwater prospector, are very rare and very expensive. Better not to consider them if you don’t have a bank account with more than six zeros.
Most commonly, the value of a quality cultured pearl is a few hundred euros. Cultured pearls are 99.99% of those on the market and are completely identical to pearls that form spontaneously in the species of molluscs that produce them.
Cultured pearls, like precious stones, are not all the same, but they are classified according to quality standards. The value is determined by the shape, size, color, surface, quality of the mother of pearl and luster. Each of these factors determines the value of the pearl.
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How much does a pearl necklace cost
There is also the type determined by the origin: pearls can be very different from each other. In general, the pearls that cost the most are those of the South Seas, which have colors ranging from white to gold, the most expensive, produced by the Pinctada maxima mollusk. Necklaces with this type of pearls cost thousands of euros or dollars. Freshwater pearls, on the other hand, can cost just a few tens of euros or dollars.
If you like dark pearls, with colors ranging from gray to purplish, you can opt for dark Tahitian pearls. Again the price is determined by their quality and the number of pearls used for a necklace. You can find Tahitian pearl necklaces that cost less than a thousand euros or dollars, up to tens of thousands of euros / dollars.
The classic round white pearls are often Akoya. They were the first pearls to be cultivated in Japan. They are a little smaller than those of the South Seas and have a more affordable price, ranging from a few hundred euros / dollars up to a few thousand (again for size, number and quality), but less than Tahitian pearls.
The least expensive pearls are freshwater pearls. As is immediately understandable, these pearls are grown in river or lake water, especially in China and Japan. They are available in different shapes, sizes and colors. The best ones look a lot like Akoya pearls, but cost much less: a string of fresh aqua pearls can also be found for a few tens of euros / dollars. The best necklaces, however, easily exceed one thousand euros / dollars. What makes them different? First of all, freshwater pearls are generated by Margaritifera margaritifera, a variety of mussels. Akoya pearls are instead produced from a type of oyster.
Investing in a pearl necklace can be a good idea. If they are cleaned and maintained constantly over time, pearls retain or increase their value. But only high-quality jewelry has a market. In short, if you buy a pearl necklace that is cheap, have fun wearing it, but don’t think you can resell it in the future.
