If you’re looking to buy pearls, there are four main options available to you:
- Brick and mortar stores
- Big brand names
- Online marketplaces like Amazon and Ebay
- Online pearl specialist stores
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of these three options and decide which of the three is the best for you.
1- Local Brick and Mortar Stores
Pros:
- Touch, feel and try on before you buy
- Easy to go back for maintenance/repairs
Cons:
- Smaller collections
- Often lower quality
- Premium prices with up to 300% markup
Most people love the idea of buying their jewelry from a physical store because it feels safer, authentic and they’re able to touch and try on the pearls before they buy. That way, there aren’t any nasty surprises and they know for sure what they’re getting.
That’s all true.
However, there are downsides that come with this.
Brick and mortar stores typically have smaller pearl jewelry collections, which means that your choice is severely limited. They may not have access to special types of pearls or higher quality products as they don’t typically specialise in this area.
Another issue is that these stores have higher overheads, and this shows in the final price of their products. Unlike online stores, they need to pay for rent, staff salaries, jewelry displays and shelving… the list goes on. This results in the final product having a high mark-up, sometimes up to 300%.
Our Recommendation: Not worth it. You’re better off spending your money elsewhere.
2- Big Brand Names
Pros:
- Touch, feel and try on before you buy
- Easy to go back for maintenance/repairs
Cons:
- Smaller collections
- Often lower quality
- Premium prices with up to 300% markup
When you talk about pearls, names like Mikimoto, Bulgari, Cartier and Tiffany tend to show up a fair bit. These stores have among the best pearls in the world and their pearl jewelry are of superior quality and workmanship.
But they come with eye-watering prices. If you’re after luxury and the brand is important to you, then there’s no harm in going for the ‘best’ names.
However, does this mean their pearls are any better than other stores?
The thing is, all these luxury stores purchase their pearls from the same sources as other stores. They don’t culture their own pearls, nor do they have any secret sources denied to other pearl jewelry manufacturers.
In the past Mikimoto (the house that gave us cultured pearls in the first place) use to farm their own pearls, but even they have stopped doing this.
The point?
The pearls you get here are as good as the high-end pearls on other reputable pearl jewelry sites and the jewelry settings are of the same materials as that of other fine pearl jewelry stores. The difference is that you’ll be paying up to 80% or even 90% more for these because of their famous brand name.
To put that into context, a strand of pearls at Tiffany’s can cost you around $8000 while a similar strand at a smaller pearl specialist store will only set you back around $1500.
Is it worth it? You decide.
Our Recommendation: Choose this for the name rather than the pearls.
3- Large Online Marketplaces
Pros:
- Enormous range
- Most pearl specialists sell on these marketplaces too
- Easy to compare prices and quality
Cons:
- Lots of fraud and faux pearls
- Communication can be difficult
- Returns can be a headache
Online marketplaces like Amazon and Ebay have enormous collections of pearl jewelry from a wide range of vendors.
While this gives you endless choice, it also means that you have to be extra critical and do your due diligence before you purchase.
Reading product descriptions is important in these contexts and in some cases, you can tell straightaway that the information given is not genuine. Sellers can use the words like genuine, authentic, real etc… when it’s obvious that the pearls aren’t any of these things.
However, one of the main advantages of shopping on sites like Amazon is that most of the pearl specialists already offer their products on this platform. Sites like Pearl Paradise and Pearl Source can be found on Amazon.
This means that you can quickly and easily compare and contrast pearl quality and prices instead of having to go on the individual sites one by one.
Etsy is a site dedicated to handmade, artisan products. It’s an excellent option where many artisan jewelers offer their handmade products. Again, take each on a case by case basis and talk to the seller to clarify doubts.
Always check for an effective returns policy. A good vendor should be able to stand by their products and take them back if they don’t meet the customer’s standard.
Our Recommendation: Excellent option but do your due diligence and purchase from a trustworthy seller.
4- Online Pearl Specialist Stores
Pros:
- Large collections
- Limited edition pearl varieties
- Expert knowledge
- Good customer relationships
- Great returns policies
Cons:
- Different standards for pearl grading
- Can be hard to compare
Buying pearls from online pearl specialist stores gives you a range of advantages. These shops are dedicated to pearl jewelry and the people behind them are often experts in the field. They know what there is to know about pearls and are able to help the customer along the way.
Pearl specialist stores tend to work directly with the pearl farms and processing houses, which means that they’re able to offer high quality pearls at lower prices because they cut out the middleman and go straight to the source.
Also, because they work completely online, they can cut all the extra overheads that brick and mortar stores have.
What does this mean for you?
Great value without having to compromise on pearl quality.
People sometimes think that because these pearls are much more affordable than brick and mortar stores, they must be sub-par. This is not true. It simply comes down to lower overheads and higher volume.
We also find that pearl specialist stores tend to have excellent customer service as they value their customers. They are typically accessible and offer one-on-one advice in some cases.
What’s more, you can also have your pearl jewelry made specially from them. Shops like Pure Pearls offer custom jewelry making services, which gives you the opportunity to create exactly what you want.
And they often have access to unique and hard-to-find pearl varieties, like blue pearls or Sea of Cortez pearls, meaning you can find one-off unique pearl jewelry at certain times.
Most of these retailers also offer their products on Amazon, so if you can make use of your Amazon Prime account (if you have one) and save yourself on delivery costs and any other benefits you get from purchasing on Amazon.
However, a word of warning.
Not all pearl specialist stores are created the same, so again, do your due diligence and check for pearl quality and standard returns policies.
Our Recommendation: Perfect option for pearl lovers but pick the right shop.
To wrap up…
By now it’s clear that there are pros and cons to all the above options. It’s hard to say which is the best, but by going through the information provided above, you can pick out the type of shop that best suits your needs.
In this article, we reveal the best pearl shops to purchase from online.
