Natural Pearl Nacreous and Non-Nacreous Price Guide

Hello everyone,

I m wondering if anyone can give me 2 cents of advice regarding value of Natural Pearl Nacreous and Non-Nacreous. I am pretty new in IGS and I only found Conch Pearl and Cultured price guide only.

And recently I attended a topic regarding Tridacna Pearl? Do you have information to share about this on value, price guide?

Thank you very much.
Ivyigs

Hi Ivyigs!

Natural pearls are much, much more valuable than their cultured counterparts. Natural nacreous pearls are very rare in any size, and very few are found today. According to Richard Wise’s Secrets of the Gem Trade, a 5mm natural pearl will be about 20 times the cost of an equivalent akoya, and a 9mm natural is only about 10 times an equivalent Akoya, due to Akoya prices jumping at the 8mm mark.

I don’t know very much about non-nacreous pearls, but I hope to create some content around these gems!

Addison
Geologist and IGS Team Member

We have a general article on non-nacreous pearls or Calcareous Concretions. Perhaps it could offer some information.

Dear Addison,

Thank you for the piece of info. I also do check some info in other online site and bumped into some auction sites. Seems like the price there is relatively high. Are those ok to use as a guide in jewelry market?

Ivyigs

Dear psanchez,

Thanks on the link to the article. I have read that earlier. Unfortunately, it is pretty general and mentioned more (type, value etc) on Conch pearl only. I am very interested to know more also about other like Melo, Tridacna etc.

Ivyigs

Dear Ivyigs,

Using auction prices as guidelines for natural pearl prices could work, but be careful that the auction pieces don’t have a provenance inflating the price, and that the pieces are comparable to the pearls that you are handling: similar luster, shape, etc.

The market for natural pearls is largely restricted to collectors, and most end up at auction.

Addison

Lvyigs,

It’s a tough call! There is no relationship between the price of natural and the price of cultured pearls. The normal criteria of evaluation are morel or less the same, but not created equal and in some cases turned on their heads. Naturals are priced pretty much on a pearl by pearl basis.

As Addison so kindly mentioned, I did add two chapters and an essay on natural pearls in the 2nd edition of my Secrets Of The Gem Trade.

RWW

Dear RWW,

Thanks for the sharing, considering to get that book too.

Cheers,
Ivyigs

Dear Addison,

Noted. Unless it comes with gem identification report.

Cheers,
Ivyigs

Yes you did add the addition of the natural pearl but you stated the pricing could not be found …

Go to kari pearls for a wealth of information about natural pearls. I believe it is karipearls. com

Exactly, you can’t build a data base on items that are so unlike they cannot be compared.

RWW