De waardefactoren
Een taxateur weegt bij deze categorie een vast aantal criteria. Hieronder leggen we ze uit, in de volgorde waarin ze doorgaans worden bekeken.
Natural versus cultured
Natural pearls form without human intervention and have been rare since the 1920s. They are always traded with certification from a reputable lab (SSEF, GIA) based on X-ray examination. Cultured pearls — common from the 1920s onwards — make up the vast majority of what you find in vintage necklaces.
Akoya, South Sea, Tahitian or imitation
<strong>Akoya.</strong> Classic Japanese cultured pearls, usually 6–9 mm, white to light cream, high lustre. Standard for mid-century necklaces.
<strong>South Sea & Tahitian.</strong> Larger (10–15+ mm), mostly 1980s and later. South Sea white to gold, Tahitian dark with green or purple overtone.
<strong>Imitation.</strong> From simple glass with mother-of-pearl coating to the very refined Majorca and Miriam Haskell pearls.
Before or after 1920
A necklace demonstrably from before 1920 (via family documentation, photos, or old appraisal reports) has a strong presumption of natural origin. For necklaces from the 1930s and later, Akoya is the default; only lab examination provides certainty.
Necklace length and sorting
<strong>Choker (35–41 cm), princess (45 cm), matinee (55–60 cm), opera (75–90 cm), sautoir (>115 cm).</strong> For a necklace, sorting also matters: well-sorted necklaces where no single pearl stands out in colour or shape are rare. Homogeneous long necklaces perform better commercially than graduated necklaces.
Clasp as a value driver
The clasp itself can add hundreds of euros: an 18kt gold barrel clasp with a natural pearl, a sapphire cabochon in art deco style, or a signed clasp from a major house. Always keep the original clasp, even if you have the necklace restrung.