Are Tahitian pearl sizes shrinking?

[CTD]

I think all pearls are precious, but Tahitians are my absolute favorite due to the vast color range. Give me a large baroque or drop pearl full of color and character and I'm all in!

It used to be very common for me to find pearl offerings in the 12-14mm size range. Now it's more common for me to see 8-9mm range. For example, I think this harvest strand from Kamoka is spectacular! I love the colors and shapes, but the pearls seem rather small to me, with the largest at 9.7mm. Former offerings of their harvest strands typically had a fair number of larger sized pearls. I'm not isolating Kamoka - I truly love their pearls and have many, just citing it as an example of offering smaller sized pearls.

Is it my perspective that pearl sizes seem smaller or is there something going on in the market?

 

[pattye]

CTD, it is a good question and you might want to ask Kamoka if they have changed their focus.
The smaller sizes you mention would be first harvest pearls, which are known for high luster and fewer blemishes. If the oysters are healthy, a nucleus the size of the harvested pearl is inserted to grow a second larger pearl. Kamoka creates only with pearls harvested from their own farm, not lots or temporary matched strands purchased from pearl auctions, which makes their offerings unique!
Some farmers have used even smaller nucleus to appeal to those who enjoy even smaller Tahitians.

 

[ennui]

is there something going on in the market?

I think so. We're in a phase where small, petite pearls seem to be in demand.

In my opinion, it's also price point. Smaller pearls tend to be more affordable. If Kamoka focused on large (expensive) pearls they might end up stuck with a lot of inventory.

 

[MintyFresh]

I have been contemplating that little harvest strand. It is adorable . . but then again there's some nice keshis out there (like at J. Hunter Pearls though also on the smaller end of the spectrum). Google AI says that the super El Niño is going to drive up pearl prices in the coming months - negatively affecting pearl quality, availability and, yes, size. But not quite yet, right? In case anyone on this site needs an excuse to buy more pearls.