One of the most frequent questions our customers ask is what size pearls should they buy. While a lot of the decision is personal preference, there are general guidelines that you can follow to help make a decision. Below is a listing of different sizes of pearls and their traditional age bracket as well as their significance or meaning.

5.5mm to 6.0mm
While these pearls are requested and worn by very petite women, generally these smaller pearls are worn by young teen girls between the ages of 12 or 13 to 16 years old. They are perfect for special occasion gifts such as birthdays, sweet sixteen, confirmations and Bat Mitzvahs.

6.0mm to 6.5mm
These pearls are a perfect gift for older teens or between 16 and 24 years old. They also are great gifts for a sixteenth birthday but are also an excellent graduation gift.

6.5mm to 7.0mm
This size pearl is usually the first size that a woman in her mid 20's will receive. This is a popular size as a gift for Valentine's Day as well as birthdays.

7.0mm to 7.5mm
Sometimes referred to as a "starter set", this size pearl is popular with young women age 30 ad up. It is a perfect gift for new mothers as well as a wedding day gift from the groom. This is the perfect size pearl to give as a present "just because".

7.5mm to 8.0mm
This is the most popular size of all necklaces. Mostly worn by women 30 years old and up, they are popular as college graduation gift, a wedding day gift, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, first through fifth year wedding anniversary gift or just about any other special occasion in a young woman's life. This size pear necklace is considered a "must have" by women.

8.0mm to 8.5mm
Traditionally worn by women ages 35 and up, this size pearl is more rare and more expensive. Because this size pearl is more expensive-looking, it can signify financial success. Even though this size pearl shouts success, it is very versatile and can be worn just as easily with casual wear as it can with formal, black-tie attire.

8.5mm to 9.0mm
Perfect for the woman in her mid 30's to her mid 40's, a strand of pearls this size exude class, elegance and stature. They are immediately recognizable and expensive and rare. The famous triple strand worn by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was of this size.

9.0mm to 9.5mm
Very rare and expensive, these pearls are generally worn by women in their mid 40's and up. You will find these pearls on wealthy women or women who are very discriminating about their pearls.

9.5mm to 10.00mm
Worn by women in their mid 40's and up, these are the extremely rare and very hard to match. They will command some of the highest prices for pearl strands. These are the size pearls owned by the former First Lady Barbara Bush.