8x8.5mm A+ Quality Japanese Akoya cultured pearl necklace 36" double strand Opera

8 x 8.5mm - Generally for younger women, 30 to 36 years. A classic strand that nicely straddles the rarity brackets because it's the first size of the larger, rarer harvests. So it says "I jumped to the next price tier" without actually jumping too exorbitantly. From here on up, the prices climb much more steeply than they do through the much more common first five sizes. Anything larger than those has to stay in the waters twice as long to have a shot at growing that large. The sizes from 8 x 8.5mm up therefore become exponentially harder to harvest, therefore exponentially rarer, and therefore exponentially more valuable. This size is more important-looking and expensive-looking than 7.5 x 8mm; it screams "successful woman here!" It can be worn with everyday wear yet also looks the part at a black-tie event, where a 7.5 x 8mm might look somewhat skimpy. It also makes for a good strand for collectors and investors; the doubly long submergence serves to protect the pearls' price and gives them the best chance to appreciate in value over time.