South Sea Pearl Earrings
The largest pearls anyone cultures, in white from Australia and natural gold from the Philippines. Every pair is matched from loose pearls at our bench in Los Angeles, which at this size means going through a great many to find two that agree. Choose size, color and shape below.
Choosing South Sea earrings
Four things decide how a pair wears and what it costs.
Size
South Sea earrings run from about 8 mm to 15 mm on the site, which is large by any other standard. 10 to 11 mm is the everyday size and already reads as substantial. 12 mm and up is a deliberate choice. We also hold special pairs in the vault as large as 18 mm, so if you want something beyond what is listed, ask.
Color
White from the silver-lipped oyster, natural gold from the gold-lipped. Both colors are the pearl's own. Gold ranges from pale champagne to deep, and depth of color is the biggest price driver on the golden side.
Shape
Round costs the most. Drops are the natural shape for an earring and hang beautifully, and they cost less for the same size. Baroque gives you the most pearl for the money and moves light around as you move.
Metal and backs
14K white or yellow gold, solid throughout, posts and backs included. Never gold-plated. The larger pairs are fitted with heavy-weight posts and backs as standard, and we can add discs that sit behind the earring and hold a large pearl close to the ear. Those are free on request.
Before you buy
Is the golden color natural?
Yes, and it is the question to ask anyone selling golden pearls. The gold-lipped oyster produces the color itself and we do not sell treated golden South Sea. Treated gold is common in the trade and tends to look uniform, with color often concentrated in the drill holes. Natural gold varies from pearl to pearl, which is precisely why matching a deep golden pair is expensive.
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 color. 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.
Will earrings this size be too heavy?
Less often than people fear, because pearls are lighter than they look and a good setting carries the weight close to the ear. The larger pairs come with heavy-weight posts and backs as standard. If you want more support we can fit a screw back, a larger comfort back, or a disc that sits behind the ear and holds the pearl upright, all at no charge. A drop-shaped pearl also distributes weight better than a round one of the same size.
Can I see the exact pearls before they ship?
Ask us and we will photograph them. At this level nobody should be buying from a catalog photograph, and on golden pearls a camera's white balance will push the color warmer or cooler than it really is. Photographs and video are free, with no obligation to buy.
Can you match these to a strand 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. On South Sea this is worth real money, because matching size, color and luster at this scale across separate orders is difficult and sometimes not possible at all.
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.
