Pearl Grades

Pearls have a long and colorful history. They have been around since the days of Cleopatra. However, in all these thousands of years, there has yet to be an establish industry standard for determining the grade of a pearl. Pearl grading is the most misunderstood aspect of pearl buying. Some would lead you to believe that pearl grading is a science. I see it more as a skill that with a bit knowledge anyone can get a fairly good idea as to the general grade of a pearl. It is important to understand the factors that determine a grade of a pearl because the higher the grade (quality) of a pearl, the higher its price.

There is no officially recognized industry accepted standard for grading pearls.

Pearls come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colors. Because of this, there is no standard formula to grade pearls as there is to grade diamonds. That is part of the beauty and charm of pearls. It is important to understand the factors (color, size, surface, luster and shape) to make an informed and intelligent pearl purchase.

There will be some pearls that match really well, but like snowflakes, there are no two exactly alike. However this is what makes it difficult to select pearls. Since young, we are brought up thinking that pearls are small, white and round. Once you learn more about pearls you realize that everything you were brought up thinking was wrong. The variety of pearls is colorful and distinct. There are round pearls, there are tear drop shape pearls, there are long art deco shaped pearls, there are luscious green pearls, there are cherry red pearls, there are metallic blue pearls and much, much more.

With so many different type of pearls how does one grade them? You look at various categories and go from there. The categories I use are color, size, surface quality, luster and shape. You have to remember that pearl grading is not the end all, be all that decides the price of a pearl. It is a foundation to help determine the quality of the pearl. Pearls are not a commodity the way diamonds are. A small Tahitian baroque pearl can be just as valuable as a large South Sea pearl.

Buying pearls online is a tricky/risky proposition. When you buy a pearl in a jewellery shop you can pick up the pearl, hold it, feel it, inspect it. When looking at a pearl online you are often at the mercy of the photo(s) from the seller. Grading is made even more difficult because you are not actually holding the pearl in your hand. You will need to see all sides of the pearl, different angles, to inspect it properly. Check its blemishes, its size, its shape. More importantly you have to make sure the pearl you see in the photo is the actual pearl you are buying. There are places that use general stock photos and send you a completely different pearl. I know it sounds crazy but there are places online that will sell you a pearl using a general stock photo or a catalogue photo. You should only buy from places that have the pearl in stock and show you the exact photos of the pearl. This is the fairest way to trade. WYSIWYG - What You See Is What You Get.

At nearly every website that sells pearls you will see a grading system. Please keep in mind that one company's grading method will differ from another company's grading method. Don't be fooled by websites that grade AAAAA, AAAA, AAA, AA, A and such. Whenever I see a site like that I just cringe because it looks like an attempt to take advantage of people's thinking that A is the best grade since our school days. How can AAAAA be the best and A be the worst? I guess the reason sellers continue to promote pearls with superfluous inaccurate grades is their success in selling them to uninitiated consumers. It bothers me to see this go one because it just spoils the business and leads people to believe they have something more valuable than it is really worth.

Pearls are graded/classified by color, size, surface quality, luster and finally shape.

Color

Warm, natural color is a distinct characteristic of South Sea and Tahitian pearls. Golden South Sea Pearls are produced by the golden-lipped Pinctada maxima oysters. A variety of tones and saturations produce hues in between white and gold and have undertones ranging from rose, silver, blue, ivory and champagne.

Color is important, but it should not be your exclusive concern. Color is just one of the several factors that determines the beauty and charm of a pearl.

Size

South Sea Pearls are the largest natural gems in the world. The Pinctada maxima oysters produce 8mm to 18mm diameters pearls, with 11mm being the average. The pearl's diameter is measured in millimeters with exception of baroque and keishi pearls which are measured by their length. Generally speaking, the bigger the pearl, the more valuable it is.

Surface Quality

Skin purity pertains to the lack of flaws on the pearl's surface. Ideally, the outermost layer of the pearl must be flaws. Surface features are considered to be any flaw in the nacre that is visible to the naked eye such as pits, bumps, scratches, deposits, ridges and cracks.

However, irregularities are part of the natural characteristics that are used to authenticate cultured pearls from imitations.

Luster

Luster is the outer sheen of a pearl. It is the reflection produced by the refraction of light on the surface of the pearl. The brighter the reflection the higher the luster. A good luster corresponds to a total reflection of the light, creating a mirror effect.

Orient is the inner glow of a pearl. It is the refraction of light as it penetrates through layers of aragonite crystals reflected from the core and bounced back to its surface - giving it the finest optical effect.

Shape

Shape is one of the most distinguishing facets of pearls. Although round pearls are more popular, South Sea and Tahitian pearls come in different shapes including semi-round, drop, oval, button, baroque and circled.

Round pearls almost perfect spheres whose diameter variation rate is less than 2%.

Semi-round pearls are slightly imperfect spheres whose diameter variation is greater than 2% but less than 5%.

Drop, oval & button pearls exhibit at least one axis of revolution.

Baroque pearls are characterized by irregular shapes.

Circled or ringed pearls are characterized by regular streaks or concave rings perpendicular to an axis of revolution.

Keishi

Keishi is a small pearl created by the same oyster that produces a South Sea and Tahitian pearl. A keishi's length can range from 2mm to 15mm. These are non-nucleated, irregularly shaped pearls and are produced serendipitously during the culturing process.

Exceptions to everything above

***It should be noted that the French Polynesia Government has set an export requirement, which can be loosely interpreted as a form of grading.***

***In the pearl industry there is a quality of pearls referred to as "Gem Quality". This is not to be confused with some website's "AAA+ Gem Quality" rating which is essentially made up to get you to think you are getting a superb pearl at a great price. It may be a beautiful pearl but not a true Gem Quality pearl.

This is the cream of the pearl farmer's crop, making up maybe 1% of a year's harvest. They are very rare and generally only trade dealer to dealer and end up in a showcase at a house like Cartier or sold to someone in the Middle East.***

Once you have all these qualities decided, then you can proceed to grade the overall quality of a pearl.

Quality of pearls

A Quality - An "A Quality" pearl is one with a very good luster, which exhibits one visible flaw or a few slight imperfections at the most, distributed over less than 10% of the surface.

B Quality - A "B Quality" pearl is one with a good or medium luster, that has some slight flaws visible to the naked eye and distributed over 30% of the surface at most.

C Quality - A "C Quality" pearl is one with a medium luster that has several slight flaws, distributed over 60% of the surface at most.

D Quality - A "D Quality" pearl is one has either a large amount of slight flaws distributed over 60% of the surface, or several slight and deep flaws distributed over 60% of the surface at the most, regardless of the luster.

A pearl's value depends on the different taste of consumers, which vary from country to country and according to changes of fashion trends. Due to the wide variety of colors and unusual shapes cultured Tahitian and South Sea pearls , one can find a wide array of jewellery styles employing these fine gems.

The pearl's relatively large size provides visibility and presence that most other precious stones or other types of pearls cannot provide within the same price range.

Pearls have a unique charm, this magical gem of the sea evokes an almost mystical admiration from all who behold it.

So how are pearl prices derived? There are a number of factors that go into that equation. Quality plays an important part, so does size, matching, production costs, shape, color. There is no one determining factor that decides price, they are all coupled together to help determine the price of a pearl.