Quick pearl size guidelines

•  5mm or less: Generally recommended for young girls and/or very petite ladies.
• 6mm Pearls: A bit smaller than ‘usual’ – a good option for ladies 5’3″ or under

• and/or with a particularly slender neck.
• 7mm – 8mm Pearls: The ‘standard’ size. Most pearl strands you’ve likely seen are about 7-8mm.
• 9mm – 10mm Pearls: Luxury size. Larger than the ‘usual’ pearl strand, but subtly so. (It is unusual to find Akoya Pearls larger than this).
• 11mm – 12mm Pearls: Noticeably larger than the norm. Typically only found in Freshwater,
  South Sea or Tahitian Pearls.
• 13mm – 16mm Pearls: A true ‘statement’ heirloom piece of jewelry. Only found in Freshwater,
  South Sea or Tahitian Pearls.

 It can be hard to ‘visualize’ what a 4mm or 8mm or any “mm” pearl size looks like. Here is a list of some common pearl sizes compared to ‘real world’ objects that may be easier for you to picture.

• 4mm pearls are about the same diameter as an unpopped popcorn kernel.
• 5mm pearls are about the same diameter as a #2 pencil’s eraser.
• 6mm pearls are about the same diameter as a #2 pencil’s shaft (a #2 pencil’s shaft is 1/4″ which is 6.3mm).
• 7mm pearls are about the same diameter as an average dress-shirt button.
• 8mm pearls are about the same diameter as a green pea (not the ‘baby’ peas, the regular ones your mom forced you to eat…).
• 9mm pearls are about the same diameter as an AAA battery.
• 10mm pearls are about the same diameter as an M&M Candy (the longer side).

 Akoya pearls are rarely available over 10mm in size. Over 10mm pearls are typically
Freshwater, Tahitian or South Sea.

• 12mm is just a hair under 1/2 inch, so 12mm pearls are about the same diameter as the thickness of a standard household sponge.
• 14mm pearls are about the same diameter as an AA battery.
• 16mm pearls are about the same diameter as the width of standard-size dice (or think of it as if you took a die and cut off the corners to make it round).

 While pearls above 10-11mm are certainly precious, Pearls larger than 16mm are extremely
unusual and rare. Nonetheless:

• 18mm pearls are about the same diameter as a dime.
• 20mm pearls are about half-way between a penny and nickel (19mm and 21mm respectively).
• 24mm pearls are about the same diameter as a quarter.