Cultured Pearl Update

Duncan Pay and Jennifer-Lynn Archuleta

We had the opportunity to speak with Fran Mastoloni (Mastoloni Pearls, New York) at the AGTA show and hear his thoughts on the current status of the cultured pearl market.

According to Mastoloni, pearls continue to do very well. His company had one of its best fourth quarters in recent history, and he believes that has much to do with the pearl cycle. He noted that pearls tend to be in fashion in seven-year periods. Mastoloni believes this is the second year of a seven-year trend. Last year pearls were making a resurgence, but instead of classic white pearls they were selling unique and fashionable pieces, such as the cocktail necklaces of white South Sea, gold Philippine, and silvery Tahitian pearls seen in figure 1, left. Mastoloni explained that customers are enjoying the organic shapes and colors of these different varieties and how versatile such necklaces and pieces can be. This trend has continued into 2018, but they are selling these unusual combinations to designers and major manufacturers rather than individual stores. These clients are incorporating Tahitian or keshi pearls or stations into necklaces, as well as Mastoloni’s colored pearl palette, with their own design elements. Mastoloni also noted a greater use of keshi pearls as stations, with one designer planning to use a bezel-set light sapphire between the stations to create something different, fun, and marketable.

Fine pearls continue to sell, though with a twist. Mastoloni’s top sellers include white South Sea, Indonesian, and Australian pearls in classic styles such as long necklaces, but with a more organic appearance. The price point is very important, Mastoloni said, because a number of customers self-purchase for work or to satisfy their own tastes. In fact, he has found that self-purchasing of pearls has become more popular than gift giving. Pearls are versatile and can be worn anywhere, he said, because they communicate that the wearer is confident but not ostentatious.

Mastoloni showed us two graduated Japanese akoya necklaces that appear to date from the 1970s or ’80s. The pearls measure 7.5 × 10.5 mm and are perfectly matched, with no imperfections and a nacre coating that is just not seen anymore; he has three other strands that are slightly smaller. These sizes are “almost unheard of” in akoyas and make for an unusual addition to a collection. He also showed his “cloud” necklace (figure 1, right), one of his most popular, created from Chinese tissue-nucleated pearls. Chinese pearls are sold by weight, and the cultivators are using larger nuclei to create larger pearls. Since pearls are no longer grown in the sizes used in this necklace, this material is unlikely to be found on the market despite its popularity.