Assael Collection: 12.0–15.0 mm Aubergine Tahitian Pearl Necklace, 18 inches

12.0–15.0 mm aubergine Tahitian pearl and diamond necklace
33 round Tahitian pearls · dark aubergine overtone · 27.6 momme · approx. 18 inches · platinum and 18K white gold diamond clasp (40 diamonds, 3.00 ctw) · hand-knotted on silk

One of the finest Tahitian strands we have ever handled. Thirty-three round pearls measuring 12.0 to 15.0 mm, in a very dark natural bodycolor approaching black, overlaid with an intense eggplant-purple overtone of extraordinary saturation. The luster is mirror-sharp and the surfaces are clean, giving the strand a depth and visual strength that is rare even among fine Tahitians.

With Tahitian pearls, color is what separates the exceptional from the ordinary. Many strands are simply dark. Very few carry an overtone this saturated and this alive, a true eggplant purple riding over near-black bodycolor, matched evenly across every pearl. That intensity is the rarest thing a Tahitian strand can have, and it is impossible to convey in a specification. Each pearl here was selected and matched for that depth and overtone, the kind of selection Assael was known for.

Finished at approximately 18 inches with a platinum and 18K white gold clasp set with 40 natural diamonds totaling 3.00 carats, hand-knotted on silk.

An overtone like this comes fully alive only in person, where the purple ignites against the dark bodycolor. We'd be glad to arrange a private viewing, at our Los Angeles vault or by virtual appointment.

A museum-caliber strand from the Assael Collection, held in our Los Angeles vault. Once it sells, it will not be available again.