PEARL SIZING
Buying pearls online can be difficult, especially if you are not familiar with pearl sizes. For those who aren’t sure what pearl diameter they prefer, we have provided these images for comparison purposes..

The image above is not actual size. For those who are still having difficulty visualizing the size of each diameter, you may print the Pearl Diameter Guide in PDF format (284 kb). The printed version of this file will show actual size. Verify the document has printed correctly by placing an actual dime over the coin’s image. If it is not actual size, make sure Adobe Acrobat is not scaling the document to fit your printer’s settings. If you need assistance, please contact us at sales@thepearlsource.com.

AKOYA PEARLS
Akoya Pearls range in size from as small as 3.0mm to as large as 9.5mm. Pearls below 7.0mm are considered small in size. 7.0mm until 8.0mm are generally the more popular sizes selected for necklaces, while anything above 8.0mm is considered to be more rare and valuable, especially in the higher qualities.

FRESHWATER PEARLS
Freshwater pearls typically range in size from 5mm to 12mm, though occasionally some larger sizes can be found. Freshwater pearls below 7mm are considered small in size. 7mm until 9mm are generally the more popular sizes selected for necklaces, while anything above 10mm is considered to be more rare and valuable, especially in the higher qualities.

Typically the larger the freshwater pearl the more difficult it is to find a round, lustrous pearl in that size. This is especially the case in pearls over 10mm in size.

SOUTH SEA PEARLS
South Sea pearls dominate the pearl world in size, and are generally found between 9mm and 15mm, though some pearls can be found as large as 20mm in size! These larger and extremely rare pearls are extremely valuable, especially in the higher qualities. Pearls below 10mm are typically considered small in size.

10mm until 12mm are generally the more popular sizes selected for necklaces, while anything above 13mm is considered to be larger, rarer, and more valuable. South Sea pearl necklaces often graduate in size, though The Pearl Source offers both graduated and non-graduated pearl necklaces. None of our graduated necklaces graduate by more than 3 millimeters. They graduate slowly and evenly in size from the smallest-size pearls in the back to the largest in the front of the necklace.

TAHITIAN PEARLS
Tahitian pearls generally range in size from as small as 8mm to as large as 16mm. Pearls below 10mm are typically considered small in size. 10mm until 12mm are generally the more popular sizes selected for necklaces, while anything above 13mm is considered to be larger, rarer, and more valuable, especially in the higher qualities.

Tahitian pearl necklaces often graduate in size, though The Pearl Source offers both graduated and non-graduated pearl necklaces. None of our graduated necklaces graduate by more than 3 millimeters. They graduate slowly and evenly in size from the smallest-size pearls in the back to the largest in the front of the necklace.