Pearl prices are rising. I have long been saying to “buy pearls now” as their prices continue to rise. Since I began working with pearls in 2006; the boom years of high quality supply and low prices has been morphing to lower supply, small amounts of high quality pearls and higher prices. We’ll news from Kobe Japan further reinforce what I have been experiencing. Today we her news that. A lot of south Sea pearls has been sold at a record price.
What is happening with cultured pearl prices? They are on the rise. In fact, as a consumer, If your purchase prices are not rising, the quality is on the decline. Pearls are graded using 7 different quality factors which leaves an element of subjective ness to their grading. Despite the subtleties in preferences, as a whole, prices do not vary much from one retailer to another. Confusing, right? If you paid a low price for your pearls, good for you! Occasionally, good deal are out there. But, typically, pearl suppliers offer the same quality at the same price. So if you are paying less, you are getting less. arrest forces can only be fought for so long before something just has to give. I know many of us are lulled by the marketing campaign of jewelry worth a gazillion dollars but, for you, only costs a million. But a myth is a myth. The truth is that pearl prices are on the rise and unless you are receiving pearls from a. Company that can charge a premium for their brand name, pearls of the same quality do not vary much in price. The only reason there are a wide variety of prices in the marketplace is because there is such a wide variety of pearl qualities!
So, back to Kobe, Japan. Kobe is a market center for pearls. Kobe hosts pearl auctions which are attended by distributors and jewelry companies from all over the world. These distributors attend these auctions to purchase huge lots of pearls. These are the type of events that this Pearl Girl does not have the cash or the business to attend. and, in my defense, they seem like a complete bore! I love a happening auction as much as I love standing next to the craps table but these pearl auctions are much more subtle affairs. I might be, once again, told that I am too loud and need to leave the room! Now, if you are a pearl farmer looking for a distributor or if you are a distributor looking for pearls to resell to jewelry companies, these auctions are a smart route to take. So, at yesterday’s auction, Australian Pearl company Atlas sold 64,000 south sea pearls for $2.5 million. What really captures my attention is that This was 12% higher than the reserve price and $200,000 more than atlas made in last year’s auction. Atlas cited the reason for this increase as, “a sustainable and growing demand for pearls.” Prices for cultured pearls are simply on the rise. And prices for natural pearls are booming too, as we have seen in natural pearl auctions.
I am a modern day treasure hunter who travels the world for gorgeous pearls and amazing adventures. I own a pearl jewelry and jewelry repair business, ThePearlGirls.com, with a cute retail store in Athens, GA. I also have a Pearl Travel business and travel blog at TheWorldofPearl.com.
