Without a doubt, pearls are one of the most beloved and well-known gems around the world. The price ranges from $100 to millions of dollars.
So, people are asking this, “what makes a couple of pearls worth more compared to others?”. And you probably are thinking how much they’re worth.
However, you will have to know what factors affect the value of a pearl and how the price is associated with various types of pearls before you can answer your question.
Pearls are the only gemstones in the world that are produced by living things. Mussels and oysters are examples of mollusks that create these beautiful gems.
There is a huge variety of shapes and sizes for pearls. However, almost perfectly round gems are the most well-known.
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How Much Are Pearls Worth?
If you’re planning to purchase a pearl, you might be asking “how much does a real pearl cost?”. Well, this varies due to many factors.
On a lot of occasions, natural pearls are worth more compared to cultured ones. However, this is only a rule of thumb. In fact, pearls can also be valued for their beauty and aesthetic value.
The beauty relies on a couple of elements. This includes the quality of the nacre, matching, surface quality, size, luster, color, and shape.
The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) created these 7 value factors to standardize pearl grading systems.
Also, pearls might be more valuable if they’ve got historical or cultural significance. This is particularly true if they belonged to well-known individuals.
What Influences Pearl’s Value?
Perhaps you’ve got a pearl necklace and you want to know its value or you’re simply making sure you are getting a fair price for a new one you want to purchase.
So, what exactly influences a pearl’s value? What if the pearl doesn’t have any historical significance associated with it?
As mentioned earlier, there are 7 factors that affect the value of a pearl. This includes matching, nacre quality, surface quality, luster, color, size, and shape.
Also, you should always keep in mind that various types of pearls have their own unique benchmarks and characteristics. Thus, you can’t just take every value factor and utilize it to evaluate two various kinds of pearls.
Cultured Pearls vs. Natural Pearls
Another thing to consider is if the pearl came from a natural resource or is cultivated by farmers. How much are pearls worth if they are cultivated in farms? How much is it worth if it’s wild?
Usually, natural pearls are far more expensive compared to cultured ones. For instance, back in 2014, a strand of 53 natural saltwater pearls sold for around $2.9 million.
In addition to that, a natural pearl pendant was sold for $32 million. That pendant belonged to Marie Antoinette, a French Queen.
On the other hand, cultured pearls are a lot more affordable. Their price ranges from $50 to $175,000.
However, you should keep in mind that both cultured and natural pearls are real pearls. They are produced from pearl-bearing oysters in either saltwater or freshwater in an almost identical procedure.
The main difference between the two lies in the external irritant that enables the oyster to produce a pearl.
For those who don’t know, a natural pearl is produced from a parasite or grain of sand entering the shell. It is generated without intervention from people.
Meanwhile, farmers produce cultured pearls by using irritants such as oyster beads or tissue. They will purposely place these irritants into the shells of the oysters.
This means that natural pearls form a lot more rarely compared to cultured ones. Almost every single pearl that you see on the market today is cultured.
Price Comparison of Different Pearls
- Natural Saltwater Pearls
They come from the Pinctada margaritifera and Pinctada radiata varieties. They’re native to the Arabian Gulf. These pearls are quite rare. The price of these pearls ranges from $500 to $2000 per pearl.
- South Sea Pearls
This is perhaps the most expensive cultured pearls in the world. They are cultivated in the biggest pearl oyster in the Philippines, Indonesia, Burma, and Australia.
The usual price range runs around $200 to $135,000 or more depending on the quality.
- Freshwater Pearls
They’re the most common pearls in the world. That is why they are also the cheapest types of pearls.
They are usually cultivated inside the Hyriopsis cumingii mollusk in ponds, lakes, and rivers of China.
Usually, the price of freshwater pearls runs around $20 to $5,000 or more. This depends on the quality of the pearls.
- Akoya Pearls
They are the traditional white and round pearls that you are probably familiar with. They are primarily farmed in China and Japan in a saltwater oyster species known as Pinctada fucata martensii.
On the other hand, Natural Akoya pearls are very rare. They are also one of the most expensive types of pearls.
- Tahitian Pearls
They are known as the most exotic types of pearls in the world. Tahitian pearls are also known as “black pearls”.
They are farmed in an oyster species called Pinctada margaritifera cumingii. They are only found in the Cook Islands, Sea of Cortez, Fiji, and French Polynesia.
The price for black pearls runs around $200 to $36,000 per pearl. This depends on the quality of the pearl.
Should You Invest in Pearls?
According to experts, pearls usually hold their value quite well. This is particularly true if the pearls are of the highest quality since they’re pretty durable.
That is why antique pearl jewelry continues to be worth a lot of money nowadays. If you invest in high-quality pearl jewelry, you can pass it along to future generations in your family.
It can also be a valuable and elegant heirloom piece.
So, should you invest in pearls? The answer is yes. However, you should only invest in real pearls with actual value.
