Japan is generally considered the best country to buy high-quality, classic Akoya pearls, while Tahiti is premier for black pearls and Australia for white South Sea pearls. For the best value, buying directly from farmers or specialized pearl boutiques in these originating countries ensures authenticity and superior luster.
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.
Freshwater Pearls
Cultivated in freshwater lakes and rivers—mostly in China—these pearls are the most affordable and versatile. They come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and natural pastel colors such as pink, lavender, and peach.
The best pearls in Australia are the highly prized Australian South Sea Pearls, known for their large size, thick nacre, and magnificent luster, cultured from the rare Pinctada maxima oyster in the pristine waters of Western Australia, with top producers including brands like Kailis Jewellery, Paspaley, Pearls of Australia, and Willie Creek Pearls. These pearls are considered among the finest globally, with some farms also producing unique Akoya and Keshi pearls, offering exceptional quality and environmental benefits.
Hyderabad is considered the main pearl trading centre in India, because of which the city is also known as the "City of Pearls".
Luster is what gives a natural or cultured pearl its unique beauty.
Broome: 'the pearling capital of the world'
In the 1880s pearlers turned their sights to Roebuck Bay (Broome) in the West Kimberley. By 1910 Broome was the largest pearling centre in the world, benefitting from newly introduced diving suits, fertile waters and a booming international pearl button market.
Akoya cultured pearls are the specialty of Japan's pearl farms. Pearls from Akoya oysters are widely admired for their air of elegance and beautiful lustre and are the most popular pearl on the market.
The Telugu film industry based in the city is the highest-grossing film industry in India as of 2021. Until the 19th century, Hyderabad was known for its pearl industry and was nicknamed the "City of Pearls", and was the only trading centre for Golconda diamonds in the world.
At Costco, we take pride in the fact that our pearl jewelry meets the industry's highest quality standards. Our process ensures our pearls have good luster, shape, color and no obvious blemishes, and that the size of the pearls match where applicable.
Unlike imitations, Akoya pearls are often bead nucleated cultured pearls, known for their bright luster and perfect round shape, making them highly desirable in jewelry. These saltwater pearls are primarily farmed in Japan and China, using the Pinctada fucata martensii oyster.
Bahrain, an island nation in the Persian Gulf lying between both the Qatar peninsula and the Saudi Arabian eastern coast, is known as the "Island of 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.
Yes, Mikimoto pearls are often slightly cheaper in Japan, since shoppers are purchasing closer to the source, avoiding some international import duties, shipping costs, and retailer markups found abroad.
Why Are South Sea Pearls So Valuable? The value of a South Sea pearl comes down to its rarity, size, shape, lustre, surface quality, colour and nacre thickness. Each harvest yields only a small percentage of fine quality pearls, and matching those pearls into strands or pairs is an art form in itself.
Hyderabad city of Telangana is known as the City of Pearls as the city deals in pearls and diamonds.
A Filipino fisherman found a 34-kg pearl near Palawan and hid it under his bed for ten years. Believing it brought luck, he had no idea it was the world's largest natural pearl, worth $100 million. Discovered only after a fire forced him to move, it proves some treasures don't glitter; they quietly sleep beneath beds.
Popular Pearl Colors
Here are the most popular tones buyers look for: White – the timeless favorite for its classic elegance. Cream – softer warmth that flatters all skin tones. Pink – gentle and romantic, often associated with love.
Pearls are counted by hand and then weighed with an electronic micro-balance that captures the weight in grams (mounted or strung), carats (loose), or carats and grains (loose natural). Pearls are measured using special digital calipers.
The AAA-A System
This grading system ranks pearls from AAA to A, with AAA being the highest. A: Lower luster and defects on more than 25 percent of the surface.
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.
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.