The best pearl brands globally include heritage leaders like Mikimoto (Akoya, Japanese origin, luxury) and Tiffany & Co. (Akoya, South Sea, prestige). Top-tier Australian brands like Kailis and Paspaley are renowned for high-quality, thick-nacre South Sea pearls, while Japanese Tasaki offers modern Akoya designs, and Yoko London provides bold, fashionable options with South Sea and Freshwater pearls.
Certified Hanadama Akoya pearls are the finest Akoya pearls available; there is no grade above Hanadama, and there are no “levels” within the Hanadama grade. They are all top-notch. Mikimoto, by contrast, offers four different grades of Akoya pearls, with A being the lowest and AAA being the best.
The best pearls in Australia are the highly prized Australian South Sea Pearls, cultured from the rare Pinctada maxima oyster in the pristine waters of Northern Western Australia, known for their large size, thickest nacre, and exceptional lustre, with top producers including Paspaley, Kailis, and Pearls of Australia, offering exquisite white, cream, and golden hues.
Best Pearls in the World: Our Top-Quality Picks
Akoya pearls from Japan are often considered the epitome of classic elegance, and are famous for their mirror-like luster, perfectly round shape and even matching. When you close your eyes and envision a pearl necklace, it's likely Akoya pearls you are thinking of.
Luster is what gives a natural or cultured pearl its unique beauty.
Mikimoto grades their pearls: A, A+, AA and AAA Quality, which is their highest/best pearl grade. Their AAA Quality Akoya are so rare, and so expensive, that there are only one or two strands produced each year.
If you're shopping for a first pearl necklace or timeless gift, we recommend an Akoya pearl strand for its unmatched luster and round beauty. For everyday wear or a more affordable gift, opt for high-grade Freshwater pearls — they offer fantastic value with plenty of style.
The most expensive pearl colors are often deep, rich hues like Golden South Sea (especially 24k deep gold), rare Peacock Tahitian (dark green/blue/purple overtones), and intensely pink or pink-overtoned White South Sea pearls, with value heavily depending on rarity, luster, size, and lack of blemishes, rather than just the base color itself. While white and black are common, specific, saturated, and rare overtones within these categories command the highest prices.
Can you wear pearls every day? Pearls are one of the most versatile types of jewelry. With their subtle luster and timeless aesthetic, they offer easy everyday elegance. Make a statement by combining pearls with mixed metals and high-impact hardware to add a touch of punk rebellion to your day-to-day looks.
She accessorized with Queen Elizabeth's Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings, which Kate frequently wears—most recently during the Qatar State Visit and on Remembrance Sunday.
It was Jackie Kennedy who said 'pearls are always appropriate,' meaning that they suit all occasions and all outfits. Indeed pearls are still worn by many brides on their wedding days and feature in most jewellers' windows today.
Genuine Akoya pearls, including cultured pearls, may have irregular textures on the surface. They also have a luster with multiple tones and clean drill holes. Real Akoya pearls tend to be denser than fake pearls, making real Akoya jewelry heavier than inauthentic pieces.
Like Mikimoto, Tiffany is one of the most famous pearl brands in the world. For the most part, Tiffany offers pearl jewelry sets with white Chinese Freshwater pearls and Japanese Akoya pearls.
beginning in 1907. These designs introduced America to the beauty of baroque pearls in fine jewelry. Today Tiffany incorporates several kinds of pearls in its jewelry designs, including Akoya pearls from Japan, irregular-shaped keshi pearls, freshwater pearls, mabé pearls, and pearls from the South Seas.
Tahitians naturally have a dark color, unlike black freshwater and black Akoya pearls, which have been treated with radiation or dye. Discover the perfect june birthstone jewelry from Rosec Jewels. Shop our selection of natural pearl jewelry in a variety of styles and more today.
How Can I Tell Pearl Quality At Home?
The type of pearl significantly impacts its price. South Sea and Tahitian pearl are the most expensive since they are rare and of great grade. Akoya pearl, known for their perfect round shape and outstanding beauty, are next. Freshwater pearl are the cheapest since they are wide in variety.
Harvesting pearls can kill the oyster, and often does in industrial farming where the oyster's meat and shell are used, but it's possible to harvest pearls without killing them, allowing the oyster to produce more, though the process is stressful and many are still discarded. The key difference is between natural pearls (which kill the oyster when opened) and cultured pearls, where farmers surgically implant a nucleus, and the oyster can sometimes survive for multiple harvests if done carefully, or is killed for its meat/shell.
This grading system ranks pearls from AAA to A, with AAA being the highest.
One of the reasons Aurora Pearls are so sought after is their unique combination of affordability and luxury. While Akoya pearls are often more expensive due to their saltwater origin and the intensive farming process, Aurora Pearls offer a similar aesthetic appeal at a more accessible price point.
Gen Z wears pearls for their versatility, breaking traditional norms, and aligning with values like authenticity and sustainability, thanks to celebrity influence (Harry Styles, Timothée Chalamet) and social media trends (TikTok) that blend classic elegance with edgy, gender-fluid styling. They redefine pearls from stuffy heirlooms to accessible, everyday expressions of individuality, often layered with streetwear.
The truth is that Tahitian pearls are stunning and quite unlike any other type of cultured pearl. Their colors, size and distinctive iridescence makes them a popular choice for jewelry lovers everywhere. And pearl lovers are happy to pay luxury prices for these superb pearls.