The short version
- Typical range: £20 – £150 — see the full pearl necklace value guide
- What decides your price: condition, and how well you evidence it in photographs
- Cost to sell here: nothing, at any price
- Category: Jewellery & Watches
Before you photograph it
Ten minutes here is worth more than anything else you will do. Buyers are deciding between your listing and someone else’s, and preparation is what visibly separates the two.
- Rub a pearl gently against a tooth edge. Real and cultured pearls feel faintly gritty; imitation pearls feel glassy smooth. Report what you observe.
- Check the drill holes for chipping and look at the stringing for wear and whether it is knotted between pearls.
- Measure the length and the pearl diameter, and photograph the clasp and any hallmark on it.
The photographs that sell a pearl necklace
Four photographs do almost all the work. Shoot in daylight, near a window, with the item against something plain — and do not use the flash, which flattens texture and hides exactly what buyers are trying to see.
- The necklace laid out in a curve, whole, on a plain background
- A close-up of several pearls showing lustre and surface
- The clasp and any hallmark on it
- The drill holes and stringing, plus any chip, discolouration or worn thread
Photograph the flaws too. It feels counterproductive, but a listing that shows the worst of an item gets fewer questions, fewer withdrawn offers and fewer arguments at handover. Buyers who can see the damage stop imagining something worse.
Writing the title and description
Type, length and pearl size: “Cultured Pearl Necklace, 18in, 7mm, Silver Clasp”. Length and pearl diameter are the searches. Say cultured, freshwater, or imitation — and if you are not certain which, say that instead of guessing.
Then state these in the description, because a buyer who has to ask is a buyer who might not bother:
- Length in inches or centimetres, and pearl diameter in millimetres
- Whether the pearls are cultured, freshwater, or imitation, with your evidence
- Whether the strand is knotted between pearls
- Clasp metal and any hallmark, plus the condition of the stringing
What buyers will actually ask
You will receive the same three messages about a pearl necklace. Answering them in the listing itself removes the back-and-forth, and answering them well when they do arrive is what turns an enquiry into a sale.
Describe the tooth test result and photograph the surface and drill holes closely. Do not assert a certainty you do not have — WishThrift does not verify items, so give the evidence and let the buyer assess it.
Look between the pearls and say. Knotting prevents a total loss if the thread breaks and is a mark of better construction.
Check for stretched or discoloured thread and say. Restringing is a routine, inexpensive job and buyers factor it in calmly when told.
Pricing it so it actually sells
Start from the honest condition grade rather than the price you hope for. WishThrift listings use five grades — New with Tags, Like New, Good, Fair and For Parts — and what each grade means is worth reading before you choose, because grading up is the most expensive mistake sellers make. It does not raise the price; it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else.
The pearl necklace value guide prices all five grades for this item. Pick your grade, take the figure, and if you sit between two grades price toward the lower one. Items priced honestly sell faster than items priced hopefully, and on a free platform there is no fee eating the difference anyway.
What you keep, compared
On a £85 sale — roughly the middle of the range for a pearl necklace — here is what the commission-charging platforms would take, and what you would keep on each:
| Where you sell it | Fee | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| WishThrift | £0 | £85 |
| Poshmark | −£17 | £68 |
| eBay | −£12 | £73 |
| Mercari | −£8 | £77 |
| Etsy | −£6 | £79 |
Seller-side rates verified 26 Jul 2026 — Poshmark: 20% commission on sales of $15 and above; eBay: 13.6% final value fee, plus a per-order fee; Mercari: flat 10% selling fee; Etsy: 6.5% transaction fee, plus a listing fee and payment processing. Percentages are applied to the sterling figure above; the fixed per-order and processing charges those platforms add are quoted in their own currency and are not included here, so the real deductions are slightly larger. Full breakdown: marketplace selling fees compared.
Timing and getting it to the buyer
Lifts before Christmas, Mother’s Day and through wedding season in late spring. Good cultured strands with a hallmarked clasp sell within a fortnight.
Post flat in a rigid box, coiled loosely, never folded or under tension. Use a tracked and signed service and check whether your carrier covers jewellery at all.
WishThrift does not process payments or arrange delivery — you and the buyer agree both directly — so confirm payment has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.
Ready to list it? It takes about two minutes, costs nothing, and there is no commission when it sells — create a free account or see how selling works.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if pearls are real?
The tooth test is the usual quick check: real and cultured pearls feel slightly gritty, imitations feel smooth. Look at the drill holes too, where imitation coatings often chip. Report what you find rather than declaring a verdict.
What is a used pearl necklace worth?
Typically £20 to £150 for cultured strands, with fine natural pearls far above. See the pearl necklace value guide.
Should I clean pearls before selling?
Only with a soft damp cloth. Pearls are soft and porous, and ultrasonic cleaners, solvents and jewellery dips damage them permanently.
See also: what a used pearl necklace is worth · browse live jewellery & watches listings · condition grades explained.