Parel maatgids — visuele tabel, mm naar stijl
Parelmaat dramatically affects both appearance and price. This guide shows what each maat band looks like and what styles work best.
maat visualization
| maat | Approximate visual | Best uses |
|---|---|---|
| 5–6 mm | Small pea | Daily-wear studs, delicate strands |
| 7–7.5 mm | Pencil eraser | Classic Akoya maat; verfijnd dagelijks dragen |
| 8–8.5 mm | Coffee bean | Most-requested Akoya maat; visible without overpowering |
| 9–10 mm | Pencil top | Tahitian classic; entry South Sea |
| 11–12 mm | Small marble | Statement maat; most-requested for South Sea pendants |
| 13–14 mm | Cherry pit | Premium South Sea statement; avond wear |
| 15–16 mm | Marble | Heirloom South Sea; rare premium pieces |
| 17mm+ | Hazelnut | Exceptional rarity; collector pieces |
maat recommendations by juwelen type
oorbellen
- Daily wear studs: 6–8 mm
- Statement studs: 9–11 mm
- Drop oorbellen: 9–13 mm
- Evening dramatisch: 13mm+
Necklaces
- Delicate princess strand: 6–7 mm
- Classic princess strand: 7–8 mm Akoya, 9–11 mm Tahitian/South Sea
- Statement strand: 10–12 mm
- Single-parel hanger: 9–13 mm afhankelijk van impact desired
Rings
- Daily wear ring: 8–10 mm parel
- Statement ring: 11–13 mm
- Cocktail ring: 13mm+
Bracelets
- Delicate: 6–8 mm
- Classic: 9–11 mm
- Statement: 11–13 mm
maat by parel type ranges
- Akoya: 5–9.5 mm (max in nature; sizes boven 9.5mm are virtually nonexistent)
- Freshwater: 4–12 mm typical, with rarer 13–15 mm Edison parels
- Tahitian: 8–16 mm (rare 17mm+ pieces)
- South Sea: 9–20 mm (the largest commercially-cultured saltwater parels)
Why maat matters for price
Parelmaat scales exponentially with price, not linearly. A 12mm Zuidzeeparels is roughly 4-6x more expensive than a 9mm Zuidzeeparels of the same grade — even though it is only 33% larger by diameter. The reasons: larger oysters are rarer, larger parels take longer to cultivate, and survival rates drop sharply as cultivation extends.
Browse by maat
Veelgestelde vragen
Wat is the most popular parel maat?
7–8 mm for Akoya (classic), 9–11 mm for Tahitian, 11–13 mm for South Sea. These bands offer the best balance of impact and accessibility.
What parel maat should I get for a wedding?
For bridal oorbellen: 7–9 mm Akoya AAA. For bridal necklaces: 7–8 mm Akoya strand or 9–10 mm Tahitian/South Sea single parel hanger. The classic bridal aesthetic prefers verfijnd, balanced sizing.
Are larger parels always more valuable?
Within the same parel type and grade, yes. A 12mm Tahitiparels is more valuable than a 9mm Tahitiparels of equal grade. However, a 9mm South Sea AAA can be more valuable than a 12mm Akoya AAA — type matters more than maat.
Hoe you measure parel maat?
Diameter in mm at the widest point. For non-spherical parels (drop, baroque), the largest diameter dimension is reported.
Wat is the difference between 11–12 mm and 12–13 mm in price?
12–13 mm parels are typically 50-100% more expensive than 11–12 mm parels of the same grade and color. The price scales exponentially with maat due to harvest rarity.