Luster
Biggest multiplierSharp, mirror-like reflection lifts the price more than anything else.
Golden South Sea pearl prices in Bali
From about USD 90 for a commercial 9 mm piece to about USD 7,500 for a top-gem round above 14 mm, as of 2026. Size sets the floor, grade multiplies it, colour saturation decides the final number.
At a glance
- Range
- USD 90–7,500
- Sizes
- 9 mm to 14 mm+
- Vs white
- 20–50% higher
- Quote in
- 2–4 working days
Indicative until a written quotation confirms it against an inspected lot.
Why golden costs more than white
Golden pearls come from the gold-lipped Pinctada maxima raised off Lombok, Sumbawa and north Bali. A harvest yields cream through champagne to saturated gold, and only a small fraction lands in the deep-gold band buyers pay a premium for.
Expect a golden pearl to run 20–50% above a white South Sea pearl of matching size and grade, as of 2026, with the gap widening as the gold deepens. Buying in Bali means buying before the Hong Kong or Tokyo markup.
- Rarity of stock
- Gold-lipped oysters are farmed in smaller numbers than silver-lipped ones
- Colour culling
- Pale champagne sells at a discount, so saturated pieces carry more of the farm's cost
- Demand concentration
- Hong Kong, China and Gulf buyers compete for the same narrow deep-gold supply
Indonesian gold versus Philippine gold
Different products at different prices. Indonesian and Australian goldens lean light champagne; Philippine goldens reach deeper mustard.
| Origin | Typical colour band | Price behaviour, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Indonesia (Lombok, Sumbawa, Bali) | Cream, champagne, light-to-medium gold | Broadest supply, widest price spread; medium golds carry the premium |
| Australia | Champagne, light gold | Same tone family as Indonesia; priced by grade, not origin |
| Philippines | Medium to deep mustard gold | Deep saturation commands the top of the golden market |
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Indonesia (Lombok, Sumbawa, Bali)
- Typical colour band
- Cream, champagne, light-to-medium gold
- Price behaviour, 2026
- Broadest supply, widest price spread; medium golds carry the premium
-
Australia
- Typical colour band
- Champagne, light gold
- Price behaviour, 2026
- Same tone family as Indonesia; priced by grade, not origin
-
Philippines
- Typical colour band
- Medium to deep mustard gold
- Price behaviour, 2026
- Deep saturation commands the top of the golden market
- An Indonesian medium gold with clean surface and sharp luster is often the best value in the category. Deeper golds in a Bali lot are priced individually at inspection, never assumed from origin.
What golden pearls cost in 2026
Indicative USD per piece for loose golden rounds and near-rounds. Only a written quotation against an inspected lot binds.
| Size | A grade | AA grade | AAA grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9–10 mm | USD 90–180 | USD 180–350 | USD 350–600 |
| 10–11 mm | USD 140–260 | USD 260–480 | USD 480–850 |
| 11–12 mm | USD 200–380 | USD 380–700 | USD 700–1,300 |
| 12–13 mm | USD 300–550 | USD 550–1,000 | USD 1,000–2,000 |
| 13–14 mm | USD 450–800 | USD 800–1,500 | USD 1,500–3,200 |
| 14 mm+ | USD 650–1,200 | USD 1,200–2,600 | USD 2,600–7,500 |
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9–10 mm
- A grade
- USD 90–180
- AA grade
- USD 180–350
- AAA grade
- USD 350–600
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10–11 mm
- A grade
- USD 140–260
- AA grade
- USD 260–480
- AAA grade
- USD 480–850
-
11–12 mm
- A grade
- USD 200–380
- AA grade
- USD 380–700
- AAA grade
- USD 700–1,300
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12–13 mm
- A grade
- USD 300–550
- AA grade
- USD 550–1,000
- AAA grade
- USD 1,000–2,000
-
13–14 mm
- A grade
- USD 450–800
- AA grade
- USD 800–1,500
- AAA grade
- USD 1,500–3,200
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14 mm+
- A grade
- USD 650–1,200
- AA grade
- USD 1,200–2,600
- AAA grade
- USD 2,600–7,500
- AAA/AA/A charts are trade conventions, not government standards. Every grade we quote comes from physical inspection or an accompanying certificate.
- Baroque, drop and circled goldens typically run 30–60% below rounds of the same size and grade.
- Lombok also prices by weight: loose South Sea pearls around Sekarbela commonly trade at IDR 100,000–500,000 per gram, saturated goldens in the upper band.
Indonesian market studies report IDR 100,000 up to IDR 5,000,000 per gram by type and grade; single South Sea pearls at one Indonesian producer span USD 2 to USD 7,500.
What moves the price inside a grade
Six variables, roughly in order of impact. Two 12 mm AA goldens can sit USD 300 apart on the same tray, so we quote from photos and video of the actual pearls.
How a golden pearl quote works
Typical timeline from spec to quotation: 2–4 working days, depending on how specific your colour band is.
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Send your spec
Size range, grade target, colour from champagne to deep gold, quantity, loose or finished jewelry.
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Matched to lots
We match it against current lots from partner farms in Lombok, Sumbawa and northern Bali waters.
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Written quotation
Dated, per size and grade, with photos or video of the actual pearls. Third-party inspection optional before you commit.
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Export paperwork
KKP export approval, Quality Certificate and BKIPM Mataram health certificate. HS 7101210000 unworked or 7101220000 worked.
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Insured shipment
A routine lane: Lombok shipments exceeded IDR 507.9 billion in 2023, up from IDR 209.2 billion in 2022.
Golden pearl questions
Have a colour band in mind?
Send size, grade and colour depth. A dated quotation with images of the actual lot comes back.
Ask the desk
Get a golden pearl quote by size and grade
Tell us the size, grade and colour depth you need. The BD desk returns a dated written quotation with images of the actual lot, one figure per pearl.