White pearl necklaces in solid 14K gold and .925 sterling silver, each one complete with its clasp and a stated length. White is the color most people picture when they picture a pearl, and it covers a wide range here: small freshwater pearls spaced along a gold chain, continuous strands, and round Akoya pearls at the top of the range. Every product page states the pearl size in millimeters, the shape, and whether the pearls are freshwater or saltwater.
See also freshwater pearl necklaces, black pearl necklaces, gray pearl necklaces, pink pearl necklaces, multi-color pearl necklaces, white pearl pendants, pearl earrings and all necklaces and chains.
More about these pearls
Size is the first thing that changes the price
Pearl size is given as a range in millimeters â 5-6mm, 8-9mm â because pearls are graded in bands rather than cut to a measurement. The jump from 6mm to 9mm looks modest written down and is substantial on the neck, and it is not a linear jump in price: larger pearls take longer to grow, fewer survive the process, and the cost rises steeply across the range. If you are choosing between two necklaces that look alike in photographs, check the millimeter range first. It usually explains the difference.
Round, near-round, rice and baroque
Shape is the second price driver and the easiest to see. A truly round pearl is the rarest outcome of the growing process and commands the most. Near-round â the most common shape here â reads as round on the neck and costs noticeably less. Rice pearls are elongated, baroque are irregular by definition, and both are chosen deliberately as often as they are chosen on price: a baroque strand is a different and less formal object than a round one. The shape is stated on every product page.
Lustre is what you are actually looking at
Lustre is the quality that separates a good pearl from a dull one, and it is the hardest to photograph. It comes from light passing through many thin layers of nacre and reflecting back, so a pearl with thicker nacre has a deeper, almost metallic glow and a sharper reflection, while a thin-nacre pearl looks chalky and flat. Size and shape are measurable; lustre is the one you judge by eye. It is also why nacre damage matters so much â see the care note below.
Freshwater and Akoya are not the same pearl
Freshwater pearls are grown in mussels, mostly in China, several to a shell, which is why they are widely available and affordable. Akoya are saltwater pearls grown one or two to an oyster, smaller on average, famously round and sharply lustrous â the classic strand. Both are cultured, both are real pearls, and the difference is in rarity and finish rather than authenticity. Every page on this store names which it is, and the price follows.
Caring for them, which genuinely matters
Pearls are about 2.5 on the hardness scale, against 10 for a diamond, and their surface is nacre â an organic material. Perfume, hairspray, lotion, vinegar and chlorine will dull or etch it permanently. Put a pearl necklace on last, after scent and cosmetics, and wipe it with a soft damp cloth after wearing. Never use an ultrasonic cleaner or a steamer. Store it flat and apart from harder jewelry, and not sealed in plastic, which dries the nacre. A strand worn often should be restrung every few years.
Common questions
Are these real pearls?
Yes. They are cultured pearls â grown in a mollusc that has been seeded, rather than found by chance. Essentially every pearl sold today is cultured; natural pearls are rare enough to be auction objects. Cultured is the honest standard description, not a lesser grade.
What does the millimeter range mean?
It is the diameter of the pearls, given as a band because pearls are graded rather than cut. A 5-6mm necklace is delicate; an 8-9mm one reads as a statement. Size is the single largest factor in price.
What is the difference between freshwater and Akoya pearls?
Freshwater pearls grow in mussels, several per shell, which makes them more available and less costly. Akoya are saltwater pearls grown one or two to an oyster, rounder and more lustrous on average, and priced accordingly. Both are cultured and both are real.
Can I shower, swim or sleep in a pearl necklace?
No to all three. Chlorine and soap attack nacre, and sleeping in a strand strains the silk. Pearls should be the last thing on and the first thing off.
How do I clean them?
A soft, slightly damp cloth after each wearing, and nothing else. No ultrasonic cleaner, no steamer, no jewelry dip and nothing abrasive â all of them damage nacre permanently.
Do pearl necklaces need restringing?
A strung strand worn regularly should be restrung every few years, before the silk weakens. Station necklaces, where pearls are set along a gold chain, do not need it.
What length should I choose?
On an adult, 16 inches sits at the base of the throat, 18 inches just below the collarbone, 20 inches on the breastbone, and 24 inches below it. The length is on every product page.
