Pearls are for everyone; the Queen wore a triple strand during her message to the nation during the UK’s first lockdown in 2020 and Kamala Harris wore them when she was sworn in as Vice-President in 2021. Emma Watson wore them in October 2021 at the Earthshot Prize, and they’ve also recently been spotted on the Duchess of Cambridge, Harry Styles, Marc Jacobs and Rihanna. Pearls are now being incorporated into designs made by Anissa Kermiche, Annoushka, Gucci, and Tiffany, and they were seen in Chanel’s Spring 2022 collection. They are also now seen on clothing, bags, shoes etc all over the high street and baroque pearls are now being incorporated into a new collection between Monica Vinader and Amy Powney of Mother of Pearl.
Lots 233 and 230 - Australian South Sea pearl necklace and an Australian South Sea pearl and diamond cocktail ring - available at the Jewellery, Silver and Watches Sale on 7th April
Pearls are very fickle and tend to go in and out of fashion very quickly. Prior to Princess Diana, only a granny would wear pearls and you couldn’t give them away, however once she made them popular their values rose astronomically. Back in their heyday in the late 80s and early 90s, pearls could make from around £5,000 - £10,000 for quality necklaces, however, throughout the noughties and up until around a year ago, they were only selling for around £300 - £500. But the tide is now turning, particularly for the rarest of South Sea pearls. Baroque pearls are also becoming increasingly popular, and this is being illustrated by their values at auction. For example, at Cheffins we sold a rare row of 23 Australian South Sea baroque pearls for double their estimate at £20,000 in 2020. Similarly, a row of Tahitian South Sea pearls made £4,200 in 2020, double their estimate.
Lot 167 A freshwater pearl necklace with a detachable diamond and baroque pearl pendant, estimate £2,000 - £4,000 - available at the Jewellery, Silver and Watches Sale on 7th April.
Aside from the high value, rare South Sea versions, auction houses up and down the country are packed with Coco Chanel-esque double and triple rows of cultured pearls which are now making a comeback. Many of these feature clasps with gemstones and diamonds, which can be worn at the side or to the front and can add interest. These tend to be sold for around £100 up to £1,000 for the best-in-class versions.
For those planning on buying pearls at auction, there are some key elements to look out for. Buyers should check the lustre of the pearls, they mustn’t be waxy, they should be sharp, shiny and reflective. It is critically important to try on these pearls if you are buying to wear for yourself, different tonal colours of pearls look better with different skin tones. In general, the more spherical the pearl the more expensive.
In the next Jewellery, Silver and Watches Sale, pearls feature heavily. For example, lot 233 is a rare string of South Sea pearls and matching ear studs, with an estimate of £20,000 - £30,000, whilst lot 230, an Australian South Sea pearl and diamond cocktail ring has an estimate of £5,000 - £7,000. Anyone on the hunt for a traditional pearl row necklace should check out lot 121, which is a triple row of cultured pearls with a sapphire and diamond clasp with an estimate of £800 - £1,200. Or for a more unusual way of wearing pearls there is a Georgian diamond and pearl pendant, which has an estimate of £3,000 - £5,000.
To view the catalogue for the Jewellery, Silver and Watches sale, please click here.