Drawn, rather than listed in a table.
Length is the most common cause of regret in fine jewellery and every site in the category explains it with a column of inches. Here it is drawn to scale instead. Choose a length and the diagram moves.
Just below the collarbone. The default, and the safest gift.
What the millimetres mean
Pearl size is measured across the drill hole. Price climbs steeply and unevenly with diameter, because the oyster's mortality climbs with the size of the bead it is asked to carry — a 15mm South Sea is not fifty per cent dearer than a 10mm, it is several times dearer.
| Size | Type | How it reads |
|---|---|---|
| 6 – 7mm | Akoya, freshwater | Reads delicate. Traditional first strand, and easy to wear daily. |
| 7 – 8mm | Akoya | The classic. What most people picture when they hear pearl necklace. |
| 8 – 9mm | Akoya, Tahitian | Noticeably present without being a statement. Our most-asked-for size. |
| 9 – 11mm | Tahitian, South Sea | Substantial. This is where a strand starts to have real weight to it. |
| 11 – 14mm | South Sea | Unmistakable across a room. Above 13mm, supply drops off sharply. |
| 14mm + | South Sea | Rare, and priced accordingly. Usually a single pearl rather than a strand. |
Still not sure
Send us a photograph of a necklace you already own and like, or tell us where you want it to sit. We do this several times a week and we would much rather answer beforehand than restring afterwards, though we will happily do that too, free, for as long as you own the piece.