Learn About Pearls

Can Men Wear Pearls?

Short answerYes, and men have done so for centuries. Julius Caesar weighed pearls in his own hand to compare them, Charles I of England wore a pearl-drop earring to his execution in 1649, George III had buttons framed with pearls, and in 1922 Emily Post judged real pearl shirt studs correct for men's full evening dress. Today pearls come in every form, from strands and single pearls to earrings, rings and pendants.

Key facts
  • Suetonius reports that Julius Caesar was said to have invaded Britain in the hope of finding pearls, and to have weighed pearls in his own hand to compare them.1
  • Renaissance portraits show nobles, courtiers and affluent merchants adorned with pearls, as a mark of authority and wealth.2
  • Charles I of England wore a pearl-drop earring at his execution in 1649.2
  • George III wore a set of enamelled buttons framed with pearls, dated 1780.2
  • In 1922, Emily Post wrote that real pearl shirt studs were correct for men's full evening dress only.3
  • Cultured pearls are made into bead necklaces and bracelets, and set singly, in pairs or in clusters in earrings, rings and pendants.4
On this page
  1. Men and pearls in history
  2. How pearls are worn today
  3. Choosing pearls

Pearls have been symbols of wealth and status for thousands of years,5 and wearing them was never restricted to women: men of distinction wore jewels too.2

Men and pearls in history#

Julius Caesar is one famous example. Suetonius reports that Caesar was said to have invaded Britain in the hope of finding pearls, and to have weighed pearls in his own hand to compare their size.1

In Renaissance Europe, pearls appeared in a new kind of portrait as a mark of great authority and wealth, and the V&A’s 2013 exhibition on pearls showed paintings and miniatures of nobles, courtiers and affluent merchants adorned with them.2 Among the pieces on show was a set of enamelled buttons framed with pearls that George III wore, dated 1780.2

Painted portrait of Henry VIII in a black hat with a white feather, its brim set with gold ornaments and clusters of pearls, above a jeweled collar.
Henry VIII in Hans Holbein the Younger's portrait of about 1537, with pearls set in gold along the brim of his hat. Image: Hans Holbein the Younger, “Portrait of Henry VIII of England”, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid (detail). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Another famous example is the pearl-drop earring of Charles I of England, which he wore at his execution in 1649.2 The page famous pearls tells the stories of other historic pearls.

Pearls also had a place in men’s evening dress. In her 1922 Etiquette, Emily Post wrote that real pearl shirt studs were correct for full evening dress only, and not to be worn with a dinner coat unless they were small enough to be entirely inconspicuous.3

How pearls are worn today#

Pearls come in the same forms for anyone. Cultured pearls are made into bead necklaces and bracelets, and set singly, in pairs or in clusters in earrings, rings and pendants.4 Larger pearls with unusual shapes are popular with creative jewelry designers,4 and baroque pearls, irregular in shape, are prized as well as round ones.6

Choosing pearls#

The type of pearl sets much of the color, size and price. The table compares the natural colors and typical sizes of the main types in the Learn About Pearls dataset.

Natural colors and typical sizes of the main cultured pearl types
Feature Akoya cultured pearlFreshwater cultured pearlSouth Sea cultured pearlTahitian cultured pearl
Natural colors white and cream7 8 9 10white, cream, pink, peach, orange, lavender and purple7 10 11white, silver, cream, champagne and golden4 10 12 13 14gray, greenish gray, black and brown4 8 10
Typical size 6–8 mm8 9 10 15 163–15 mm8 109–16 mm8 10 168–14 mm8 10 16 17

Tahitian cultured pearls are naturally dark,11 and South Sea cultured pearls are the largest.18 The pages pearl size guide and what pearls are worth explain size and price, and styling pearls covers ways to wear them.

Care is the same too. Pearls are soft, so put them on after any cologne or hair products, wipe them with a soft, damp cloth after wearing, and store them apart from other jewelry.19

Questions people ask#

Have men always worn pearls?

For centuries, men of rank did. Renaissance portraits show nobles, courtiers and merchants adorned with pearls, Charles I wore a pearl-drop earring at his execution in 1649, and George III wore buttons framed with pearls.2

What were pearl shirt studs?

Pearls set as the studs that fasten a dress shirt. In her 1922 Etiquette, Emily Post wrote that real pearl studs were correct for full evening dress only, and not to be worn with a dinner coat unless they were very small.3

Which pearls do men choose?

The sources we checked describe men wearing single pearl earrings, pearl-framed buttons and pearl shirt studs. Today the choice of type is the same as for anyone. Tahitian pearls are naturally dark, and South Sea pearls are the largest.2 3 11 18

References#

  1. Suetonius; translated by Alexander Thomson, revised by T. Forester. The Lives of the Twelve Caesars. Source · Archived copy
  2. Victoria and Albert Museum, with Qatar Museums Authority (2013). Pearls (exhibition press release). Source · Archived copy
  3. Emily Post (1922). Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home. Source · Archived copy
  4. Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Gem Encyclopedia. Pearl Description. Source · Archived copy
  5. Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Gem Encyclopedia. Pearl History and Lore. Source · Archived copy
  6. Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Gem Encyclopedia. Pearl Quality Factors. Source · Archived copy
  7. Phoebe Shang (2026). Freshwater Akoyas – A Trending Misnomer for Certain Freshwater Pearls. Source · Archived copy
  8. Gemological Institute of America (GIA), FAQ. What are the main types of cultured pearls and what are their distinctive characteristics?. Source · Archived copy
  9. Artitaya Homkrajae (2024). Remarkably Large Akoya Bead Cultured Pearls. Source · Archived copy
  10. CIBJO Pearl Commission (2025). CIBJO Guides Describing and Classifying Natural and Cultured Pearls, the Producing Molluscs & Responsible Pearling. Source · Archived copy
  11. CIBJO, The World Jewellery Confederation, Pearl Commission (2026). The CIBJO Pearl Book (Pearl Blue Book) 2026. Source · Archived copy
  12. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. South Sea Pearl Ring (NMNH G10639). Source · Archived copy
  13. Shane Elen (2001). Spectral Reflectance and Fluorescence Characteristics of Natural-Color and Heat-Treated "Golden" South Sea Cultured Pearls. Source · DOI 10.5741/GEMS.37.2.114 · Archived copy
  14. Chunhui Zhou, Artitaya Homkrajae, Joyce Wing Yan Ho, Akira Hyatt and Nicholas Sturman (2012). Update on the Identification of Dye Treatment in Yellow or "Golden" Cultured Pearls. Source · DOI 10.5741/GEMS.48.4.284 · Archived copy
  15. Areeya Manustrong (2018). Very Small Akoya Cultured Pearls. Source · Archived copy
  16. Fisheries Agency of Japan (水産庁) (2026). 真珠養殖をめぐる情勢について (On the situation of pearl culture). Source · Archived copy
  17. Oïhana Latchere and others (2018). Influence of water temperature and food on the last stages of cultured pearl mineralization from the black-lip pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera. Source · DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0193863 · Archived copy
  18. Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Gem Encyclopedia. Pearl Buyer's Guide. Source · Archived copy
  19. Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Birthstones. June Birthstones. Source · Archived copy
Written by
Learn About Pearls editors
Fact-checked
Learn About Pearls editors,
Reviewed by
Simon,
First published
Publisher
Unique Pearl, a pearl jeweler
Revision history
  1. : First published. First published
How to cite this page
APA
Learn About Pearls editors. (2026). Can Men Wear Pearls? Learn About Pearls. https://learnaboutpearls.com/buying/mens-pearls/
MLA
“Can Men Wear Pearls?” Learn About Pearls, Unique Pearl, November 4, 2026, learnaboutpearls.com/buying/mens-pearls/.
Chicago
Learn About Pearls editors. “Can Men Wear Pearls?” Learn About Pearls. Unique Pearl. Last modified November 4, 2026. https://learnaboutpearls.com/buying/mens-pearls/.
BibTeX
@misc{lap-buying-mens-pearls, title = {Can Men Wear Pearls?}, author = {{Learn About Pearls editors}}, year = {2026}, howpublished = {\url{https://learnaboutpearls.com/buying/mens-pearls/}}, note = {Learn About Pearls, published by Unique Pearl}}

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  • Buying: How to compare pearl types and quality, what to ask a seller, and when to get a lab report.
  • Styling pearls: Necklace lengths, mixing colors and shapes, pearls beyond the strand, and pearls at funerals.
  • Famous pearls: Famous pearls and their stories, from ancient Rome to the present day.