Top 10 Most Expensive Pearls: Here's the Million-Dollar List! | Canada

Who doesn't love pearls? If diamonds are considered a girl's best friend, the pearls are a girl's rescue buddy. When push comes to a shove, just put on your pearls, and you immediately become fashion ready. Historically, pearls have been viewed as a symbol of prestige, wealth, and power. Cleopatra once showed Marc Anthony the extremity of her wealth by melting a pearl in vinegar and then drinking it. Some wealthy people invest their hard-earned money in lovely jewelry, but did you know that some even spend a ton of money on pearls? Here are 10 of the most expensive pearls in the world. Let's find out what makes them so pricey and million-bucks-worthy.

Like some of us, esteemed jeweler Pierre Cartier did not start his jewelry empire in a breeze; he had to find a place to make his dreams come true. When he went to Morton Freeman Plant to buy his now-famous headquarters in Fifth Avenue, New York, he only had $100.00. But aside from that, he held a luxurious two-strand pearl necklace he had crafted and created for some time. Plant's wife loved the pearl necklace, especially when people valued pearls as a sign of prestige and class. The roaring 1920s saw how much everyone was obsessed with pearl jewelry. This pearl necklace is valued at around $1 million. Cartier now has an undisputed jewelry empire worldwide thanks to the pearl necklace.

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The second in our top 10 most expensive diamonds globally is this three-strand natural pearl necklace valued at $1.4 million. A valuable necklace with such exquisite beauty, this was auctioned at New York Magnificent Jewels through the famous jewelry house Christie's. Said to be an auction where there is "a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful," this strand pearl necklace raked in some $1.4 million. All natural and in varying sizes, one hundred eighty pearls compose the chain. All of the pearls are perfectly matched and, of course, graduated. What makes this extra special is the emerald cabochon detail and the sparkly diamond clasp. This necklace is worth the bucks.

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This five-strand natural pearl necklace is an exotic beauty. Boasting its unique and stunning specs, this was sold by the famous jewelry house Christie's in 2012. All the pearls in each strand are graduated and measured with preciseness and exactness. The strand in the innermost part of the necklaces boasts a set of sixty-three pearls, all graduated. On the other hand, the second strand has 68 natural pearls, while the third strand is composed of seventy-two pearls. The fourth and fifth strands are made up of seventy-three natural graduated beads. The ethnic-inspired clasp and the blue silk chain that holds the pearls added a unique look to the necklace. Coming in at $1.7 million, it is no wonder why it is an absolute beauty.

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The Cowdray Pearl Necklace is famous for its price; it is rich in history and rarity. Grey pearls are of extreme rarity, only 1 out of 100,000. This necklace, composed of 38 graduated natural grey pearls, is worth its exorbitant price of almost $3.3 million. The original of this grey pearl necklace was the late Lady Pearson, who later became Viscountess Cowdray. This 43.2-centimeter necklace comprises beads of different sizes ranging from 11.4 to 6.8 millimeters. This necklace's clasp is a gorgeous rectangular mixed-cut diamond that undoubtedly added a lot of sparkle and luster to the said pearl necklace. Christie's auctioned this piece in 2012 at $3 million, proving its value has increased relatively in 3 years.

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Named the most significant Pearl, the Lao Tzu pearl is considered one of the world's most expensive beads. Although the said natural gem has unique characteristics, like its lack of iridescent quality and peculiar shape, it still can rake in a ton of money for the owner. Valued at over $3.5 million, this Pearl is not something you can ignore. The history of how Pearl came to the spotlight is fascinating. In 1934, Wilbun Curb traveled to the Philippines to buy Pearls. However, the Chief who owned the Pearl insisted that the Pearl was sacred. However, Curb saved the life of the Chief's son, and as a token of thanks, the tribe gave him the Pearl, thus the name "Pearl of Allah."

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6. Double Strand Necklace with Pearl Earrings 

This rare double-strand Pearl is next on the list, considered an iridescent beauty. Composed of 120 pearls of extravagant size ranging from 6.50 to 12.25 millimeters, this necklace, it's safe to say, is made up of large pearls. The coloration of these pearls has a couple of variations. Some pearls in this necklace are white, while others gravitate towards the creamy white tint. The undertones of these pearls play within rose gold and green hues. The stunning diamond clasp signed by the famous Cartier jewelry house makes this extra strand special. Now, isn't this the jewelry piece that can make us all sing, "I'm so fancy!" Indeed, this is a fancy piece as it comes in with a $3.7 million price tag. Match these with gorgeous, stunning pearl earrings for the ultimate attire! 

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Nothing could ever beat the iridescent qualities of the Big Pink Pearl. A natural abalone pearl discovered by a famous diver named Wesley Rankin in 1990 is considered one of the pearls fit for royalty. At a staggering price of $4.7 million, this Pearl's cost is worth it as it boasts a total weight of 470 carats and baroque-like characteristics. As an abalone pearl, it is a given that its nacre receives multiple hues of color, such as pink, lavender, green, and blue. Today, the said Pearl remains in possession of Rankin, a famous abalone pearl dealer.

If there is a pearl necklace that is filled with so much history and value, that would be the Baroda pearl necklace. Known not only for its extremely high price of $7.1 million, the Baroda pearl necklace proved many times that it is more than just its lucrative price tag. With pearls gathered from the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh rows of the Maharajas of India's seven-strand pearl necklace. The famous seven-strand accessory was composed of 330 pearls that only fit the taste of royalty, as the previous owners of this necklace were Indian royals. However, during the reign of Maharajah Pratapsing Rao, he transported some of the Indian royal jewels to his home in Monaco. The government gave him a request to return the said jewels. Although he did return all, a part of the seven-strand necklace was gone. Eventually, the missing piece was found in Christie's auction, valued at roughly $7.1 million.

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The next million-dollar worthy jewel is this La Peregrina pearl necklace. In Spanish, La Peregrina means "the pilgrim" or simply "the wanderer." The history surrounding the said necklace has never been more accurate as it traveled from the hands of an enslaved African who discovered it to England's royalties. All in all, La Peregrina Pearl has 500 years of history under its name. Named one of the perfect pear-shaped necklaces, the jewelry costs a jaw-dropping $11.8 million. He was once owned by Queen Mary of England, held by Prince Philip the II of Spain, and Richard Burton's gift to his beloved Elizabeth Taylor (although he was pretty lucky, he only bought it for $37,000). The gorgeous pearl necklace with beautiful rubies features a carefully designed floral pattern. La Peregrinate's total weight is 55.95-carats.

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Lastly, the giant Pearl from China, more popularly known as the Beauty of the Ocean, was revealed. It was instantly considered the world's most expensive and significant artificial Pearl. Discovered in Mongolia, this Pearl tends to glow solely in the dark. Now tell me, can your Pearl do that? This Pearl was no easy work as it took the Chinese workers three years to form a giant artificial pearl. This beauty is composed of Flourite. And in case you are wondering, this one-of-a-kind creation weighs six tons and stands 5 feet high. And the price? A booming $139 million making it the most expensive Pearl, among all others, in the world. These pearls are indeed eye-popping if you look at their price tags, but if you also look into their history and sentimental values, you can say, "It's worth it." These pearls have become a considerable part of the history of the world already, and if you want to own something valuable for centuries, you got to pay the price.

But if you are looking for pearl jewelry and cannot afford these pearl beauties' staggering prices, don't fret. Here at IceCarats.com, you get the beauty without the overwhelming cost. So shop now and be amazed at the incredible value for your dollar.