Pearls are a classic style investment, and purchasing your own is an exciting moment. But, with so many pearl jewelry options on the market, where do you begin? If you’re wondering where to buy pearls, we’ve put together this retailer guide to help you understand what to expect when shopping for pearls.
You see, pearls can vary widely in quality and price, and not every jewelry retailer is completely honest when it comes to their offerings. Or in some cases, jewelers will hugely inflate the price of pearl jewelry, even if the quality is high. From the most luxury pearls, to budget bulk-bought strands, staying informed will help you maximize both value and quality of your pearls.
From our most highly suggested to our least, read on to learn where to buy pearls!
Eg: The Pearl Source
Let’s start with the top place to buy pearls! A specialty online pearl retailer — like The Pearl Source — is your absolute best option for investing in a piece of pearl jewelry. With a direct to consumer business model and niche industry experience, you can find the ultimate combination of value and quality. No unecessary middlemen or retail store overheads means you’re buying pearls without the outrageous markups.
Another advantage of buying from The Pearl Source is the transparency around our whole process. We strive to make the pearl grading process easy to understand, and create educational content for our customers. We want you to feel informed, supported, and excited on your pearl buying journey!
| Best For | Every pearl purchase! From simple pieces to statement investment jewelery, you can buy pearls with confidence that you’re not being overcharged or undersold. Enjoy the confidence of The Pearl Source customer support & and 60-day hassle-free return policy. |
| Price | Fair market price for quality pearls, without being artifically inflated. |
| Quality | Transparent grading by pearl industry experts. AAA to AAAA+ pearls. |
Eg: Mikimoto or Tiffany’s
When you think of pearl jewelry, your mind may go straight to luxury brand names like Mikimoto or Tiffany’s. These legacy jewelers make high quality pieces, and have customer recognition to match. However, it’s worth noting that these huge brands, with their extensive PR and reputation, are able to charge much higher than comparable market value. And with an extensive network of retail stores and brand marketing, they are relying on their legacy to entice customers.
A brand like Mikimoto, who are the leaders in the luxury pearl retail space, may have the very top of the line pearls, with these pieces costing well upwards of $60 000. However, for more typical jewelry pieces, their prices are still much more for the same pearl quality.
When comparing two similar 18″ Akoya pearl AAA strands, Mikimoto charges $5500, while The Pearl Source charges $829. Without a vast difference in craftsmanship or pearl grade, it’s clear that a luxury brand name can play a big role in jewelry pricing.
| Best For | Absolute top of the line, best-in-business pearls. However, for most consumers, the markup is not necessary. |
| Price | Highest prices for relative pearl quality and jewelry style. |
| Quality | High quality with transparent grading. |
Eg: Jared, Zales, Mejuri
Traditional jewelers — ones that don’t specialize in only pearl jewelry — may be where you’re drawn to to buy pearls. However, it’s worth noting that stores like Jared and Zales, and even more modern ones like Mejuri, sell pearls as only a small part of their larger business. This means that they are not pearl experts, and usually offer pearls at a very high markup.
Also, as their business model relies on a high quantity of sales, they are making jewelery en masse. Instead of timeless pieces, you can expect more trend-led pearl jewelry. And while you may recognize their brand name, the likelihood is that you’re not getting value for money on pieces that you may not wear forever. You may be able to snag a good piece every now and then, especially if you’re well informed on pearls, but it’s not a great place to start your search.
| Best For | Jewelry that is not pearls, like bridal or simple everyday gold. |
| Price | Often highly marked up (sometimes 300-500%) to make pearls viable in their overall business. |
| Quality | Pearl quality is not a priority, and the selection is often much lower than a specialized pearl retailer. |
Eg: Costco, Nordstrom, Amazon
Buying pearls online may seem simple. Just search on one of your regular sites, and buy… right? While this approach may be tempting, the reality is that many online e-commerce marketplaces just don’t have the quality control required when shopping for pearls.
The way it works is that these big box retailers buy pearl jewelry in bulk from smaller suppliers (like Costco or Nordstrom), or small suppliers advertise their products on an online marketplace (like Amazon). In both cases, there is no pearl expert involved, and the goal is to make as much profit on each transaction as possible. As a consumer, you can expect unreliable pearl quality, a lack of sourcing transparency, and a complicated chaing of command when it comes to customer service. Also, without clear and uniform pearl grading standards, there’s a large risk that you end up purchasing low grade pearls.
| Best For | Household items – not fine pearl jewelry! |
| Price | Likely cheaper than other reputable jewelers, and for a good reason. Without the supervision of pearl experts, you risk buying low grade pearls and low quality pieces. |
| Quality | These retailers often sell pieces made with “commercial quality pearls,” which are bulk-ordered without proper quality control. They aren’t fabricated by pearl experts, so there’s no way to know how consistent the quality of your pearl jewelry will be. |
Eg: eBay
While buying secondhand pearls is a great way to get a deal on pearls, doing it online is often not. The reality is that quality control on a site like eBay is almost impossible, and it’s not uncommon for painted immitation or dyed freshwater pearls to be advertised as Akoya, Tahitian, or South Sea pearls.
While there is a chance that you could get a deal from a resale site like eBay, there’s no way of knowing the pearl quality in advance. If you have your mind set on a vintage piece, consider reputable auction houses with their own pearl experts. Or, better yet, look for in esteemed in-person vintage jewelry stores that walk you through the purchase process.
| Best For | Costume jewelry, not investment pearl purchases. The risk is too high, there is no guarantee of authenticity, and getting a refund could be a pain! |
| Price | Often low, which is why you’ll be tempted. But remember, you could end up buying plastic pearls instead of the real deal! |
| Quality | Without the eyes of a pearl expert — or even a jeweler — there is no real way of knowing what you’re buying. If buying resale pearls, stick to large vintage retailers with a solid returns policy. |
If you’re wondering where to buy pearls, the answer is clear! While there are so many options out there, a dedicated online pearl specialist like The Pearl Source is the best choice for both quality and value.
Our pearl experts are able to source, grade, and create stunning pearl pieces that are both stylish and classic. And as a customer, you can feel supported throughout the entire shopping process, with transparent pearl information and trustworthy customer service.
Browse our full collection, and own your own quality pearls from The Pearl Source!
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