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.
Tiffany & Co. uses a variety of authentic pearl types, including Japanese Akoya, Tahitian, Chinese Freshwater and South Sea pearls.
Saltwater pearls – some of the best pearls in the world, which come from oysters around Australia, Thailand and Indonesia. Tahitian pearls – these pearls come in a variety of colors, including black, green, blue and pink.
Named after the Japanese word for “saltwater,” the Akoya pearl is generally regarded as the most desirable of its kind. Harvested in the Akoya oyster, most of today's Akoya pearls are produced in Japan and China.
Kailis pearls are unlike any other on Earth. Highly sought after, the Australian South Sea pearl is revered as one of the best varieties of pearls in the world. Born from the rare Australian Pinctada Maxima oyster, our Australian South Sea pearls have the thickest nacre and a magnificent lustre, to rival any other.
Tiffany does not have it's own grading system (at least one that it publicly acknowledges), but Tiffany strands are generally AA quality on the Mikimoto grading standard and Tiffany prices its strands directly in line with with Mikimoto AA strands (which would be $5,400 for an 18" 7x7. 5mm strand).
Some of you may be concerned that if their pearls turn yellow, this indicates that they are fake. Contrary to popular belief, imitation pearls very rarely turn yellow due to their composition of plastic and ceramic. Pearls that begin to yellow indicate that they are organic and subject to change.
Size: When other value factors are equal, larger pearls are rarer and more valuable than smaller pearls of the same type. Shape: Round is the most difficult shape to culture, making it the rarest cultured pearl shape and—if all other factors are equal—also generally the most valuable.
Due to their rarity and the difficulty of collecting them, they were considered more valuable than gold. The value of pearls depends on many aspects, such as: size, shape, color, luster, surface smoothness, transparency, and if you buy more – their price is also influenced by the fit and similarity of each piece.
The Kimberley Region
The remote Kimberley coastline in the North-West of Australia is the perfect location for growing South Sea Pearls. The area is home to huge tidal variations of up to 12 metres (the second largest tides in the world).
Japan is the acknowledged leader in Akoya pearl production – known to produce the best, most consistently beautiful Akoya pearls in the world. SIZES: Akoya pearls range in size from 2.0-3.0mm up through 9.0-9.5mm, and very rarely, 9.5-10.0mm.
Gold Pearls
One of the largest and rarest pearls found around the world is Gold in color. They are Golden South Sea pearls, cultured in the Philippine Islands.
Kate Middleton wears the Annoushka Baroque Pearl Earring Drops. The Princess has worn the pearl drops since 2012.
The Priciest Tiffany & Co. Design Ever Made Can Be Yours for $30 Million. Tiffany & Co. is set to make history with its most expensive sale ever. In Dubai, the jeweler unveiled its latest and most valuable creation for sale, the World's Fair Necklace, valued between $20 and $30 million.
However, every stamp or logo on genuine Tiffany jewellery should be perfectly engraved and aligned. The engravings are always centred, legible, and sharp. They should not be blurred or difficult to read. Moreover, a silver Tiffany jewellery piece flaunts the engraving “Sterling” or “925”.
Pearls with particular brand names will also retain (and even increase) their value over the years; vintage Mikimoto Akoya pearls that still have their original clasp, box and papers to establish provenance are very highly sought after today and continue to fetch premium resale values.
Freshwater pearls have no core and are made up entirely of mother-of-pearl – so 98% of these stones are not round but oval, buttoned, drop or baroque in shape. Freshwater pearls are cheaper because they are easier to extract, making sea pearls more valued.
The best quality of pearl is known as Lingha pearl obtained from marine oysters. The duration of formation of pearl is about 7 years. The pearl oyster belongs to genus Pinctada, family pteriidae, and class bivalvia and phylum mollusca.
Never use ordinary household products such as vinegar, ammonia, bleach, rubbing alcohol, or nail-polish remover to clean your pearls. Those products contain chemicals that will erode your pearls. Pearls are organic and sensitive to many types of products.
Worn often and properly cared for, pearls can look as good in 50 years as they did the day they left the store. Pearls are not the most durable of gems. Most everyday items at home and in the office are tougher than pearls, so careless contact can cause damage them over time. Chemicals are the primary threat.
Leaving pearl jewelry in a security box for long periods may cause pearls to dehydrate, so enjoy them frequently. There is a saying that “pearls want to be worn,” and it is true. In the case of pearl rings, please be aware that these are only to be worn for dress and are not intended for everyday wear.
Recommended Pairings: The Silver overtone is really versatile, and looks beautiful with both white gold and yellow gold accents. White gold will generally enhance the pearl's “cool” undertones, helping them appear brighter and whiter. Yellow gold creates a nice, elegant contrast – a very classic pearl look.
This grading system ranks pearls from AAA to A, with AAA being the highest. AAA: Nearly flawless pearls with a high luster and a surface that's 95 percent free of defects. AA: High luster with a surface that's 75 percent free of defects. A: Lower luster and defects on more than 25 percent of the surface.
One of the biggest reasons for the high price of Mikimoto's pearls is their stringent grading system. The pearls come in four grades- A, A+, AA, and AAA. While the A-grade pearls are the lowest quality, the AAA pearls are the best.