“For fine-quality pearl jewelry, expect to spend between $300 and $5,000 for most pieces, depending on pearl type, size, and design. Akoya pearls typically cost more than Freshwater, while South Sea and Tahitian command the highest prices due to rarity and size.”
– Ashley McNamara, Pure Pearls

How much does a pearl necklace cost? The Gemological Institute of America, GIA, states that pearls are evaluated and then valued depending on the 7 Value Factors which include type, size, and quality of the pearls. If you are shopping for a real pearl necklace, begin by considering pearl type and size, then evaluate luster, surface quality, and craftsmanship.

A mid-range, high-quality white Akoya pearl necklace typically runs between $250 and $5,000, with brand reputation, pearl size, and rarity affecting the price. Other varieties, like South Sea or Tahitian pearls, can command significantly higher prices due to their size and scarcity.

Below, you’ll find a chart detailing each major pearl type, their average size and quality ranges, and an estimate of how much is a pearl necklace worth for each category. This will give you a clear reference point whether you’re investing in your first strand or upgrading to a luxury piece.

When you start shopping for a real pearl necklace, you’ll start to notice that almost all pearls are graded on a scale from A to AAA. The standard Japanese grading scale includes:

• A
• AA
• AA+
• AAA
• Hanadama (this is a specific certification for pearls that surpass even AAA standards)

AAA is considered the highest standard grade, while A is considered the lowest.

However, the definition and value of an “A,” vs “AA,” pearl varies from brand to brand. One brand’s A might even be higher quality than another brand’s AA.

Plus, not all brands even use every value. For example, some pearl companies give their best pearls the AAAA label, while others only use A and A+ grades.

Mikimoto is one such example:

Some luxury brands, like Mikimoto, simplify their grading systems to just A and A+. It’s a minimalist approach that intentionally avoids the inflated letter scales used by mass-market brands ... but it can also make comparison between pearl necklaces harder.

At Pure Pearls, we rely on the classic A–AAA Quality Japanese Grading Scale, which has been the industry’s reference point for decades. This allows our customers to easily compare quality across our collections and understand exactly what they’re purchasing, and we clearly define each grade's benchmarks for surface quality, luster, nacre thickness and matching.

Other online retailers often use the same A–AAA scale, and some even add an A–AAAA range depending on the pearl type.Each vendor defines what “AAA” or “AAAA” means in their own way, making cross-brand comparisons tricky. For example, what one retailer calls “AAA” might be equivalent to another’s “AA+.” That’s why it’s important to know the grading system behind the pearls you’re buying.Understand that pearl grading is not universal—it only holds meaning within the brand itself.

The real takeaway? It’s not about the letters: it’s about the pearls.

That’s why we go beyond grades to show you real photography, transparent sourcing, and third-party appraisals. Because trust isn't built with letters—it's earned through honesty.

Learn More: The Expert's Guide to Akoya Pearl Grading

At Pure Pearls, we not only use the traditional Japanese grading scale but also provide Hanadama-certified pearls, which are independently verified by the Pearl Science Laboratory in Tokyo, Japan, which gives you the opportunity to buy real pearls with total confidence in quality and value.

When comparing a Mikimoto pearl necklace to one from Pure Pearls, the most fair comparison would be one of our Hanadama Akoya necklaces, which costs $3730:

You’ll likely notice that even our high-end AAA and Hanadama Akoya pearls are less than a third of the price of the similar Mikimotos. We’re able to charge lower prices because of our pared back business model, which skips luxury rents for retail spaces, high-end advertising campaigns and hundreds of employees adding to a luxury brand's markup, which directly impacts how much a pearl necklace costs.

While Mikimoto pearls are undeniably gorgeous, we'd challenge anyone looking to buy a pearl necklace with excellent value to buy both strands to compare them in person. Check it out for yourself to see if the massively higher costs are truly justified for the pearls you'll be receiving.

I think it's easy to see that an Akoya pearl necklace (especially one of our Certified Hanadama Akoya pearl necklaces) from Pure Pearls will come out on top as offering the best value for a pearl necklace.

Learn everything you could want to know about Hanadama pearls by reading our The Ultimate Guide to Hanadama Pearls

So if you can’t use standard grades to compare pearls, how do you determine what a pearl should cost?

In short, you have to find a trusted brand that consistently produces high-quality pearls.

For some, this means buying only from high-end brands like Mikimoto or Tiffany’s. These two brands especially have great reputations in the pearl space and have been producing quality pearl jewelry for decades.

But their pieces are also prohibitively expensive, and not a great value (unless you are a brand name devotee).

The smart option is to do a bit more research. With a little know-how you can quickly and easily spot great pearls at a great value, while avoiding scams and sky-high markups.

Here’s your quick start guide to finding amazing pearls at incredible prices:

Brand markups and grading aside, the most important factor that will determine pearl value is pearl type.

Specifically we have (In order from least to most valuable):

1. Freshwater pearls
2. Akoya pearls
3. Hanadama Akoyas*
4. Tahitian pearls
5. South Sea pearls

*Note that Hanadama pearls are simply the best of the best Akoyas.

Below, we’ll share what you can expect to pay for each type of pearl as well as what you’ll pay in general for each type of jewelry (including necklaces, earrings, and bracelets).

If you know what kind of pearl jewelry you’d like to buy and how much a pearl necklace will cost, this section is for you!

A real pearl necklace can cost anywhere from $150 to $10,000+ or even more for exceptional examples. Affordable Freshwater necklaces can go as low as $150, while a classic Akoya necklace will cost anywhere from $250 to $5000+. Other pearl types like Black Tahitian or White and Golden South Sea pearls will be luxury-tier pricing.

If you already know what kind of pearl you’d like, but aren’t sure what kind of jewelry you want, this section is for you:

Note: All prices are general ranges. Truly exceptional examples may fall outside the upper end of these price ranges.

What truly drives the cost of pearl jewelry comes down to a combination of rarity, beauty, and craftsmanship. Unlike diamonds, pearls are organic gems created by living oysters, and every pearl is unique. Larger pearls take years to form, making them significantly more expensive than smaller ones. Perfectly round pearls are rare in nature, so symmetry adds value, while body color and overtone (such as rose, silver, or peacock) also play a role in desirability. High luster—the sharp reflection of light across a pearl’s surface—is one of the most important indicators of quality, and pearls with strong, mirror-like luster always command higher prices.

As the Gemological Institute of America says, “GIA lists seven pearl value factors: size, shape, color, luster, surface quality, nacre quality, and matching.” These elements together determine not only how beautiful a pearl necklace or bracelet looks, but also how rare it is in the marketplace. This is why two strands that may appear similar at first glance can differ in price by thousands of dollars—the finer strand has the qualities collectors and jewelers know are most prized.

Each brand uses different grading factors and pricing models, which makes it hard to compare prices and quality from one brand to the next.

If you want the best deals on pearls, remember to:

• Look for detailed grading factors from each brand you’re considering
• If you’re in doubt, just buy pearls from multiple brands and compare in person

To learn more about pearl grading factors and how to find the best one for you, check out this pearl grading guide or learn more about how we grade our pearls at Pure Pearls.

Or, if you’d like to skip straight to browsing some of the best deals you’ll find on stunning, luxury-grade pearls, check out our classic Akoya collection.

We invite you to compare them to any pearls on the market — it’s 100% risk free. Just order the pearls, think about it for up to 90 days, and if you’re not completely satisfied, just send them back. We’ll pay return shipping.