Mikimoto Baroque Pearl Necklace

Mikimoto, the company that brought the perfectly round, cultured pearls to the worldwide marketplace also sells beautiful baroques. Unlike a classic strand which is celebrated for its symmetry and for the careful matching of its individual pearls, a baroque strand is more interesting for its differences. Each pearl has a unique lumpy shape. Some people consider baroque pearls ugly but one benefit of the bumps and bulges is that the luster of the pearls reflects the light differently on each shape. These South Sea cultured pearls are produced by much larger oysters in the warm waters of the South Seas, in Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines and it often takes years to gather enough large baroque pearls for a necklace. This 18-inch strand has an 18k gold and 0.01ct diamond ball Mikimoto clasp and sells for $44,000.