South Sea Pearl Necklaces
The largest pearls anyone cultures, in white from the silver-lipped oyster and natural gold from the gold-lipped oyster. The nacre is thick enough to give them a glow rather than a shine. Every strand is individually matched, which is why each one carries its own measured size range. Filter by color, shape or grade below.
Choosing a South Sea strand
Four things decide what a strand looks like on you and what it costs.
White or golden
White is the classic and the largest, running past 20 mm. Golden is the only pearl that comes out of the shell genuinely gold, from pale champagne to deep 24 karat. Deep gold is the steepest price step in South Sea.
Size
White South Sea starts around 9 mm and golden around 8 mm, and both run well past 16 mm. Each strand carries its own measured range because these are matched individually. 11 to 14 mm is the classic.
Shape
Round is the rarest and prices accordingly. Drop, baroque and keshi cost less, run larger and have real presence. A South Sea baroque is a serious piece of jewelry, not a consolation prize.
Grade and clasp
AA+ through AAA, and we list AA+/AAA where a strand sits honestly between the two. Clasps are chosen on the product page and everything is solid gold. Any diamonds are natural.
Before you buy
Why is South Sea so much more expensive than akoya?
Time and size. A South Sea pearl grows for two to four years in a much larger oyster, which produces one pearl at a time and often does not survive the process. The result is a pearl several times the size of an akoya with nacre many times thicker.
Is the golden color natural?
Yes. The gold-lipped oyster produces the color itself and we do not sell treated golden South Sea. Natural gold varies pearl to pearl, which is exactly why matching a deep golden strand is so expensive.
Why is every size range different?
Because every strand is different. These are genuine pearls graded and matched one at a time, so we measure the actual strand and publish that range rather than rounding it into a category. It is the honest way to list them.
Can I choose the length and the clasp?
Yes to both. Every strand is knotted to order on twin silk, so the listed length is a starting point. Tell us what you want and we will tell you what the strand allows. Clasps are chosen on the product page. Everything is solid gold, never gold-plated, and any diamonds are natural.
Can I see the exact strand, and can you match earrings to it?
Ask and we will photograph it, at no cost and with no obligation to buy. At this level nobody should be buying from a catalog photograph. And if you order earrings, a pendant or a bracelet at the same time, we match those pearls to the strand before anything is set, at no charge.
Nobody should buy at this level from a photograph
Book twenty minutes and we will put strands on camera, turn them in the light, and tell you honestly where the money is going and where it is not.
