All of our pearls are sustainably cultivated in French Polynesia and come from a tiny island called Mangareva where only 1,239 people live. Each pearl is cultivated by the local community and handpicked by me, which means that whenever you buy a piece of my jewellery you help to support the people in Mangareva.

 I quality check every single pearl, making sure that the lustre, shape, size and colour are perfect for you. No two pearls are the same, so you can be assured that your pearl is completely unique, just like you.

There are, what seems like, endless different standards for grading systems that are used throughout the world when it comes to pearl grading. Unfortunately, there is no universal standard.Each standard varies in value factors. Here’s a little bit about our grading system so that you know exactly what you are purchasing.

For reasons such as these, it's extremely important when purchasing pearls to be absolutely certain of the meaning of any descriptive terms used by the seller. If possible, ask for an Authenticity Card. Reputable Jewellers will be happy to comply with such a request. Only in this way will you be able to determine if the price the seller is asking is reasonable. 

I love, love, pearls, but let’s face it, buying pearl jewellery can be expensive. I received my first pearl jewellery from my great grandmother, and they were the plastic kind that ended up peeling and ruining your outfit! LOL. That is not what we sell at Shahana Jewels and because I appreciate you spending your hard earned money with us, instead of the local takeaway, I wanted to share seven things that influence the value, and subsequently, the price of your pearls! All of the things I am about to mention are influenced by rarity, if pearls are rarer, that probably means you paid or will pay a higher price for it!   

Size

Sooo, like you probably predicted, bigger pearls mean more dollar bills!!! Shahana Jewels pearls range between 8mm and 15mm are my favourite! But, it’s not about me! What’s your fave? 

Another obvious identifier when it comes to the value of your pearls, is shape. While you might be accustomed to seeing round pearls, they are actually the rarest pearls.  Other shapes include semi-round, button, drop, circle, and baroque.  I like to think that all pearl shapes are beautiful, just like us gals, so I don’t judge my pearls based on shape alone!  There are some gorgeous baroque shapes out there, and those tend to be well priced too because of their individuality! Think of it like this, even though every pearl is different, I am able to create the same design using all my round pearls. When I use baroque pearls, the pearl jewellery is even more one of a kind and limited edition.

Lustre is what makes your pearls shine bright like a diamond - well, kinda! The shine is produced by layers of nacre that are built up in the pearl during their years within the oyster.  The better reflection you can see in the pearl, the higher the value.

So babe, I hate to break it to ya, but no pearl is perfect. All pearls have some imperfections and while I think it’s part of what gives your pearl character, you’re probably wondering what is normal and what is not. Some imperfections can be found on the top layer aka surface of your pearl, but most times these imperfections are not visible to the naked eye.  Blemishes range from skin imperfections, dents, and pits; pits being the least acceptable flaw.  

Pearl harvesting is one of my favourite things ever, and it is no wonder then, that one of the seven factors that influence the value of your pearls, comes down to nature. The layers that are secreted from the oyster to form around the foreign object inside and form the pearl are called nacre. The thicker the layers of nacre, the longer you can expect the beauty of the pearl to last. Low quality pearls have thin layers of nacre which affect the beauty and longevity of the pearl. 

If you’ve only seen deep, dark, Tahitian pearls, then you are missing out. Pearls come in a variety of colours. Not only do these pearls look gorgeous, but some colours are more rare than others, adding to their value. The most desired and highest valued pearl colour  is Peacock Green.

As with everything in life, supply and demand comes into play! Pearls aren’t “built” in a day, and there are many factors that go into the quality of a pearl harvest - so no two seasons are the same. If the harvest does not go well, it may produce very little pearls or pearls of lower quality. This scarcity drives up the value of pearls.