Akoya Pearl Earrings
Every pair here is Japanese akoya, matched from loose pearls at our bench in Los Angeles. Studs, dangles, hoops, and clip-ons for unpierced ears. Choose by size, grade and style below, and ask us to photograph the exact pair before we set them.
Choosing akoya earrings
Four things decide how a pair wears and what it costs.
Size
Studs run from about 4 mm to 9.5 mm. 7.0 to 7.5 mm is the classic everyday size. Below 6 mm reads delicate, and 8 mm and up carries an outfit on its own.
Grade
Ours run AA+, AAA and hanadama. The letters are our own standard, not an industry one, and what separates them is luster first, then surface and matching.
Style
Studs sit against the ear. Dangles and hoops move and catch more light. Clip-ons are made for unpierced ears and use the same pearls as everything else.
Metal
14K white or yellow gold as standard, rose on some designs, and 18K on a few special styles. Solid throughout, posts and backs included. Any diamonds are natural and are VS1 clarity, G color.
Before you buy
Can I see the exact pearls before they ship?
Ask us and we will photograph them for you. Every pair is matched from loose pearls and set to order, so the earrings you receive are made for you rather than pulled off a shelf. Request photographs or a short video on any product page, at no cost and with no obligation to buy.
How closely are the two pearls matched?
We match to within a tenth of a millimeter on size, and a pair also has to agree on shape, luster, surface and overtone. Finding two pearls that do can mean going through a great many, which is the whole reason we match at our own bench instead of buying pairs already made up. You should not be able to tell them apart at arm's length.
Can you match earrings to a necklace I am buying?
We already do. If you order earrings at the same time as a necklace, bracelet or pendant, we match the pearls to that piece before anything is set. You do not have to ask and there is no charge for it. It is the reason a set bought from us in one order looks like a set rather than three pieces that happen to be the same size.
Will they match a necklace I already own?
We will get as close as we can, though we will not promise a perfect match to a strand already in your jewelry box. Pearls shift slightly with age and wear, and we are matching to a photograph or a description rather than to the pearls in front of us. Tell us what you have, or send a picture, and we will pick the closest pair we can find and show it to you before we set it.
What are the settings, posts and backs made of?
Solid gold throughout, posts and backs included. 14K is our standard because it is strong and it is the right choice for pearl earrings. A few special styles come in 18K. Never gold-plated and never base metal. The diamonds we use in our earrings are natural, VS1 clarity and G color. If you need a different back, a screw back or a larger comfort back, ask and we will fit one.
Still deciding?
Our specialists will show you pearls on camera and talk you through what you are looking at. Most appointments run about twenty minutes.
