Buyers who cruised around the Plumb Club Pavilion at the JCK Las Vegas show in June may recall seeing a glow emanating from a showcase at the Mastoloni booth. We sure did.
There, in the midst of the show’s hustle and bustle, the family-owned pearl wholesaler displayed one of the finest pearl necklaces it has ever stocked: a one-of-a-kind South Sea strand valued at $700,000 retail.
“It’s the epitome of what a perfect South Sea pearl necklace should look like,” Fran Mastoloni, a partner at the 92-year-old firm, tells JCK. “All the pearls are Australian, and they’re as good as I’ve ever seen. They’re beautifully clean, the skins are lovely, and they have a nice white-pink rosé color with a very fine luster.”
And, apparently, worth the wait! The graduated strand, which features 27 perfectly round pearls that range in size from 15 mm to 18.9 mm, originated about a dozen years ago with a selection of pearls in the Mastoloni safe, but “it was more of a 15 to 17 mm necklace in its earlier days,” Mastoloni says. “Then we found a couple pieces that went into the front of it and that’s when it all came together.”
An 18 mm diamond pavé–encrusted bead clasp in 18k yellow gold provides the finishing touch.
At press time, the strand was still available. Could it be destined for a retail client here in America?
“There’s a buyer out there looking for something like this,” Mastoloni says. “It’s not an impulse buy. The person who will wear it knows what they’re looking for; they’re pearl people, and now they want the best. It’s among the best we’ve ever had.”
Top: South Sea pearl necklace with 18k gold and diamond clasp, $700,000; Mastoloni
- Subscribe to the JCK News Daily
- Subscribe to the JCK Special Report
- Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazine
- Follow JCK on X: @jckmagazine
- Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
