Pearl Jewelry
Pearl earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings, designed and made by hand in our London workshop. Lustrous freshwater pearls in white, pink, gray and peacock; Akoya and South Sea pearls, mostly set in gold; and, in a few designs, shell pearls, which we name on each piece's page. Dress them up or down. Start with the piece, or with the question you came with.
The fast path
Most bought pearl jewelry
Not sure where to begin with pearls? Start here, with the six pieces we sold most, online and in the shop.
From our pearl orders online and in the shop, January 2025 to September 2026
Earrings
Button Pearl Studsfrom $200
Our smallest, daintiest pearl stud; Betty and Carmen are larger
Earrings
Vermeer Drop Pearl Earringsfrom $670
A single pear-shaped pearl drop
Necklace
Blanche Skull & Pearl Necklace$700
Shell pearls and a silver skull
Necklace
Vermeer Pearl Drop Necklacefrom $555
The Vermeer drop on a fine chain
Necklace
Magnolia Three Strand Necklace$970
Three strands of shell pearls
Bracelet
Faith Pearl Bracelet$440
A single strand with an adjustable catch
Earrings
Pearl earrings: studs, drops and hoops
Earrings are where most people start with pearls. Studs sit quietly on the lobe, drops hang below it and catch the light, and hoops move with you. Button is our smallest stud; Betty and Carmen are the same idea with larger pearls.
Earrings
Button Pearl Studsfrom $200
Stud; our most bought pearl piece
Earrings
South Sea Stud Earringsfrom $3,900
Stud; a grade A South Sea pearl in gold
Earrings
Coco Pearl Earrings$855
Peacock and pink pearls around textured silver
Earrings
Blanche Pearl Earrings$950
Drop; the largest pearl sits behind the lobe. Shell pearls
Earrings
Colette Pearl Hoop Earrings$1,350
Hoop; round pearls on a silver hoop
Earrings
French Lace Pearl Hoop Earrings$1,200
Hoop; pearls threaded in a delicate lace pattern
The one we'd choose
Vermeer Drop Pearl Earrings
Our most bought pearl drop: one pear-shaped freshwater pearl hanging just below the lobe, in white, gray, peacock or pink, from silver to 18ct gold. A first pair of pearls, or the pair for a wedding day: dress it up or down. The Large Vermeer is the same drop, bigger, and there is a necklace to match.
from $670
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Necklaces
Pearl necklaces
One pearl on a chain, one strand, or several at once? Most of ours are about 45cm (17¾ in) and sit on the collarbone, where they catch the light at an open neck; the Faith strand has a short length of chain at the clasp so you can change the length.
Necklace
Vermeer Pearl Drop Necklacefrom $555
One pearl drop on a fine chain; matches the Vermeer earrings
Necklace
Blanche Skull & Pearl Necklace$700
Shell pearls with a silver skull at the center
Necklace
Magnolia Three Strand Necklace$970
Three strands of shell pearls
Necklace
Jackie Necklace$1,750
Two strands: white rice pearls and peacock baroque pearls
Necklace
Coco Triple Strand Pearl Necklace$4,100
Three strands of peacock baroque pearls, with pink
Necklace
South Sea Pearl Necklacefrom $2,050
A South Sea pearl balanced on a metal frame
The one we'd choose
Hope Round Pearl Necklace
A single strand of round 6mm freshwater pearls, about 45cm (17¾ in) long, with a silver T-bar fastening. White, gray, pink or peacock. It is the strand we would choose for a first pearl necklace: plain enough for every day, with a white shirt or under a jumper, and there is a bracelet to match.
from $670
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Bracelets and rings
Pearl bracelets and rings
A single strand is the everyday pearl bracelet, easy on its own or beside a watch; our Hope strand is about 18cm (7 in). We make two pearl rings, both in gold: Posey, with Akoya pearls, and the South Sea ring.
Bracelet
Hope Round Pearl Braceletfrom $440
A single strand of round 6mm pearls, about 18cm (7 in)
Bracelet
Contessa Braceletfrom $1,600
Freshwater pearls of 6 to 9mm, in silver or gold
Bracelet
Magnolia Three Strand Bracelet$780
Three strands of shell pearls
Bracelet
Blanche Skull Pearl Bracelet$555
Graduated shell pearls with a silver skull
Ring
Posey Pearl Ringfrom $3,850
A posy of six Akoya pearls around a ruby, in gold
Ring
South Sea Pearl Ringfrom $4,650
A South Sea pearl and six diamonds, in gold
The one we'd choose
Coco Triple Strand Pearl Bracelet
Three strands of freshwater pearls: peacock baroque pearls in irregular shapes, and small pink pearls knotted by hand in a lace pattern that loops around the wrist. As much at home with a battered leather jacket as with evening clothes. The necklace and earrings match - wear one, or all three.
$1,650
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Gold or silver pearl jewelry?
Choose the metal before the pearl: it decides the price range, and what the piece will sit beside day to day. Every precious metal piece we make is assayed and hallmarked.
Silver
Where most of our pearl pieces start - cool and bright beside white pearls - and the only metal for strung designs such as Coco, Jackie and Magnolia. Silver tarnishes slowly with wear and polishes back; keep the polish off the pearls.
9ct gold
37.5% gold. Button, Betty, Carmen and the Vermeer pieces are made in 9ct yellow gold, and the Hope and Faith necklaces and Contessa pieces can be made in 9ct gold to order.
18ct gold
75% gold, with a richer, warmer color. Our studs and Vermeer pieces can be made in 18ct gold to order. Posey and the South Sea studs and ring are made in gold only.
Which suits pearls?
There is no rule. White pearls look cooler in silver and white gold, and warmer and softer in yellow or rose gold. Worn with other jewelry? Match the metal the wearer already wears.
Freshwater, Akoya, South Sea or shell pearls?
Almost every pearl sold today is cultured: a person starts the pearl, and a mussel or oyster grows it, slowly, over months or years. The kind of pearl sets the look, the glow and most of the price. We use three kinds of cultured pearl, and shell pearls in a few designs.
Freshwater
Grown in freshwater mussels, several to a mussel. Solid nacre, a soft lustre, and the widest range of shapes, each pearl a little different: round, button, drop, rice and baroque. Most of our pearls are freshwater, and they cost the least of the cultured pearls.
Akoya
Saltwater pearls from the Akoya oyster, traditionally from Japan. Small, very round, with a sharp, mirror-like shine - a crisp, classic look. We use white Akoya pearls in the Posey pieces.
The Posey collection
South Sea
The largest cultured pearls, grown in large saltwater oysters. Thick nacre, a soft satin glow and the highest prices: one is enough to carry a whole piece. We use grade A white South Sea pearls.
Shell pearl
Made, not grown: a bead made from shell and coated to look like pearl. It is not a cultured pearl. Shell pearls are perfectly round and evenly matched, and cost less. We use them where a design needs large, even pearls, in Blanche and Magnolia, and the piece says so.
How to tell if pearls are real
Imitation pearls are common, so how do you tell? Three simple checks, and what they miss.
Look along the strand. Cultured pearls vary slightly in size, shape and color, and most have small marks on the surface. Pearls that are all identical, with a flat, even shine, are usually imitation.
The tooth test. Rub the pearl gently along the edge of a front tooth. Cultured pearls feel slightly gritty, like fine sand; glass and plastic feel smooth.
What the tests miss. Shell pearls can pass the tooth test. A jeweler can tell under magnification.
Ours. If a piece of ours uses shell pearls, its page says so. Not sure about a piece? Ask us: email shop@stepheneinhorn.co.uk or call +44 20 7359 4977.
Made in London
Designed, strung and made by hand in Islington
Every piece on this page is designed and made by hand in our own workshop at 210 Upper Street, Islington. Most jewelers have pieces made overseas; we make ours here, in London. Our strands are strung by hand at the bench, pearl by pearl, and the French Lace pieces use a stringing technique developed by Jane Best, who founded the company with Stephen.
Pearl designs with a story
Each of these started from a painting, a film, a technique or a person. Which is yours?
Vermeer
Named after Johannes Vermeer's painting Girl with a Pearl Earring, about 1665: a single pear-shaped pearl, glowing at the ear. Made as earrings in two sizes and as a necklace.
Vermeer Drop Pearl Earrings from $670 Large Vermeer Drop Pearl Earrings from $1,100 Vermeer Pearl Drop Necklace from $555
Posey
Designed from the ring we made for Lady Tremaine, the wicked - and stylish - stepmother in Disney's Cinderella (2015): two hands holding a posy of six Akoya pearls around a ruby, with a second stone set in the back. The name is a nod to posy rings, gold bands with a hidden verse.
Posey Pearl Ring from $3,850 Posey Necklace from $4,050 Posey Earrings from $5,450 The Posey collection Our film work →
Blanche
A classic graduated strand of shell pearls with a silver skull hanging at the center: pretty, with a bite. Also made as a bracelet.
Blanche Skull & Pearl Necklace $700 Blanche Skull Pearl Bracelet $555 Gothic jewelry
French Lace
Pearls threaded in a pattern as fine as lace, a technique developed in our workshop by Jane Best. Made as a collar necklace, a bracelet and hoops.
French Lace Pearl Necklace from $2,350 French Lace Pearl Bracelet from $1,350 Large French Lace Pearl Hoop Earrings $1,450 Meet the founders
Coco
Three strands of peacock baroque freshwater pearls, with small pink pearls knotted by hand into a lace pattern on the shortest strand. Made as a necklace, a bracelet and earrings.
Coco Triple Strand Pearl Necklace $4,100 Coco Triple Strand Pearl Bracelet $1,650 Coco Pearl Earrings $855
Josephine
Ten strands of pearls, named after Josephine Baker. Our most elaborate pearl necklace, made for an entrance.
Josephine Ten Strand Pearl Necklace from $9,350Pearl gifts: 30th anniversaries, June birthdays and weddings
Pearl is the traditional gift for a 30th wedding anniversary and the birthstone for June. Four occasions, and the pieces we would wrap up for each.
30th anniversary, for her
A classic strand or a single pearl drop. Hope is the strand we would give.
Anniversary gifts
June birthdays
Pearl is the birthstone for June. Small studs, our most bought pearl piece, are an easy start.
About June birthstones
Weddings and bridesmaids
Drops or studs for the bride, a single strand for bridesmaids. The superstition that pearls mean tears comes from Victorian mourning jewelry; the other tradition, the one we prefer, says the pearl takes the tears instead.
Bridal jewelry
For men
Pearl jewelry for men
Men wore pearls long before they were thought of as women's jewelry: Elizabethan portraits show men in pearl earrings. New to pearls? Start at the wrist, beside a watch or other bracelets, with a tailored suit or a battered denim jacket. Gray and peacock pearls read darker than white.
Bracelet
Mariner Pearl Bracelet$540
A pearl drop on a silver chain
Bracelet
Galleon Baroque Pearl Bracelet$540
A baroque pearl on a silver chain
Necklace
Skull & Pearl Necktie$700
Pearls and a skull; can be worn over a tie
Earrings
Vermeer Drop Pearl Earringsfrom $670
The Vermeer drop; gray and peacock read darker
Necklace
Faith Pearl Necklacefrom $670
A plain strand; adjustable length
The one we'd choose
Faith Pearl Bracelet
A single strand of round freshwater pearls with an adjustable catch, made to be worn by anyone. White, or gray, peacock or pink to order. The simplest way to start wearing pearls. Make it yours.
$440
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How to care for pearls
Pearls are soft, 2.5 to 3 on the Mohs scale where diamond is 10, and they are organic, so they need a little more care than metal or gemstones. How depends on whether the pearls are strung on thread or set in metal.
Strung pearls: keep them dry
Necklaces and bracelets are strung on thread, and water weakens it. Take them off to wash, shower or swim. The thread stretches with wear; if you can see gaps between the pearls, the strand needs restringing.
Studs and drops
Set pearls have no thread, so a splash does no harm. Take them off to shower, swim or sleep: soap, chlorine and hot water dull the surface and can loosen the fixing that holds the pearl.
Pearls set in silver
Wipe the pearls with a soft, slightly damp cloth after wearing, then let them dry. Clean the silver with a dry polishing cloth, kept off the pearls. Never use silver dip, ultrasonic cleaners or jewelry cleaning liquids on pearls.
Last on, first off
Put on perfume, hairspray and make-up before your pearls. Store them apart from other jewelry, in a soft pouch, not an airtight box.
Caring for your pearlsMaking time and delivery
Made to order
Approximately four weeks from order; pieces set with gemstones, such as Posey, four to six weeks.
From stock
Some sizes and metals are in stock and leave sooner. Need it by a date? Call +44 20 7359 4977 before you order.
Delivery
US prices include duties, taxes and DHL delivery.
Come in
Pop in to see the pieces at 210 Upper Street, Islington, or book a video call.
Book an appointmentPearl jewelry questions
Are freshwater pearls real?
Yes. A freshwater pearl is a real, cultured pearl, grown in a freshwater mussel. Almost every pearl sold today is cultured: a person starts the pearl and the mussel or oyster grows it. Freshwater pearls cost less than saltwater pearls of a similar look because each mussel grows several at once.
What is a shell pearl?
A shell pearl is made, not grown: a bead made from shell and coated to look like pearl. It is not a cultured pearl. Shell pearls are perfectly round and evenly matched. We use them in a few designs, including Blanche and Magnolia, and the product page says so.
How can I tell if pearls are real?
Rub a pearl gently along the edge of a front tooth: cultured pearls feel slightly gritty, glass and plastic feel smooth. Cultured pearls also vary slightly in size, shape and color along a strand. Shell pearls can pass the tooth test; a jeweler can tell under magnification.
How much should pearl earrings or a pearl necklace cost?
It depends on the kind of pearl, its size, the metal and the making. Our freshwater pearl studs start at about $200 in silver and our freshwater strands at about about $670. Our shell pearl pieces in silver cost about $550 to $975. Akoya pearls, in the Posey pieces, start at about about $3,835 and South Sea pearl studs at about about $3,890. Prices for each metal are on each piece's page.
Can you shower or sleep in pearl earrings?
We would not. Studs and drops have no thread, so a splash does no harm, but soap, chlorine and hot water dull the surface and can loosen the fixing that holds the pearl. Take them off to shower, swim or sleep. Keep strung pearls dry altogether: water weakens the thread.
How do you clean pearls set in silver?
Wipe the pearls with a soft, slightly damp cloth after wearing and let them dry. Clean the silver with a dry polishing cloth, kept off the pearls. Never use silver dip, ultrasonic cleaners or jewelry cleaning liquids on pearls. See caring for your pearls.
Why are pearls given for a 30th anniversary?
Pearl is the traditional gift for the 30th wedding anniversary. The usual explanation is that a pearl grows slowly, layer by layer, much like a marriage. Pearl is also the birthstone for June.
Can men wear pearls?
Yes. Men wore pearls long before they were thought of as women's jewelry; Elizabethan portraits show men in pearl earrings. Our Faith and Mariner bracelets, the Skull & Pearl Necktie and the Vermeer drop earrings are worn by men and women. A bracelet beside a watch is an easy start. See pearl jewelry for men.
All Pearl Jewelry
37 pieces
