As of June 2026, across the 600+ pieces in our live catalog, a loose Tahitian pearl (Pinctada margaritifera) runs from about $16 at 8mm to $396 at 14mm and up, a finished Tahitian necklace sits at a median of roughly $1,200, and white South Sea strands (Pinctada maxima) reach $3,900–$5,200 at 12–13mm. Size, lustre and shape drive every step.

Most pearl price guides quote vague ranges with no source. We can do better: we sell direct from the farm, so the numbers below are computed from our actual listed prices on the day of writing — not estimates, not retail mark-up theatre. Use them as a baseline before you compare anyone's quote, including ours.

Real pearl prices by type and size (June 2026)

Median asking prices in USD from our live catalog. "Median" means half our pieces cost less, half cost more — a more honest anchor than a cherry-picked minimum.

*Why does a 14mm+ Tahitian strand show a lower median than 12–13mm? Shape. Most very large Tahitians are baroque rather than round, and a round strand commands far more than a baroque one of the same diameter. That asterisk is the most useful lesson in the whole table.

What actually moves a pearl's price

On our grading table, five factors decide where a pearl lands, and they multiply rather than add up.

• Size: each extra millimetre means more years in the oyster and fewer survivors at harvest. The jump from 12mm to 14mm is steeper than from 9mm to 11mm.
• Lustre: the single biggest quality multiplier. A sharply mirrored 9mm Akoya (Pinctada fucata) outprices a chalky 11mm pearl every time.
• Shape: round is rarest. Drops and baroques of equal lustre cost 30–70% less — which is why baroque strands are the smart buy for presence on a budget.
• Surface: clean skin raises the price; a few natural marks lower it without hurting durability.
• Colour: deep golden South Sea and richly overtoned Tahitians (peacock and aubergine on a true Tahitian) sit at the top of their size band. Our colours are natural — never dyed.

Loose pearls vs finished jewellery: where the money goes

The table shows loose Tahitians at $38–$289 while finished necklaces run $780–$1,230. The difference is honest: a strand needs 35–45 matched pearls — and matching is the expensive part. We sort thousands of pearls by millimetre, colour and lustre to assemble one even rope; the rejects go back in the tray. Add hand-knotted silk and an 18k clasp and the arithmetic explains itself. If you enjoy choosing stone by stone, our loose Tahitian pearls are the same harvest the strands come from, priced per pearl.

How our farm-direct prices compare to boutique retail

Branded boutiques routinely list comparable Tahitian strands at three to six times these figures, and famous maisons far beyond that. The pearls are not six times better; the address is. Because we grade and sell our own harvest, the medians above are what the market actually pays a producer. Compare our Tahitian pearl necklaces against any boutique quote and ask the seller to state species, size in mm, shape and whether the colour is natural — those four answers explain almost any price gap.

How much should I expect to spend on a good first pearl piece?

Around $150–$420 buys a genuinely fine pair of Tahitian or South Sea earrings from our catalog, and $780 or more a full Tahitian strand. Below roughly $50 for a finished saltwater piece, be sceptical of what species you are really getting.

Are these prices fixed or do they change?

They move with harvests and exchange rates. We computed this table from live listings in June 2026 and will refresh it as the catalog changes; treat it as a dated snapshot, not a permanent quote.

Why are Akoya pearls cheaper than South Sea pearls?

The Akoya oyster (Pinctada fucata) is small and farms in volume, topping out near 9.5mm; Pinctada maxima grows slowly, yields fewer pearls and reaches 16mm. Scarcity of big, clean, lustrous pearls — not quality of the small ones — sets the gap.

Do prices include certification?

Yes — every piece we sell ships with its certificate stating species, size and natural colour, included in the listed price.

If a piece you are weighing up sits far above or below these medians, send us the listing — we will tell you plainly what you are paying for. Or start with the loose South Sea pearls and build from the pearl up.