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Pearls
are classified by
Origin, then graded by
size, shape, nacre thickness, color,
luster, surface clarity and matching.
These qualities are not considered
equal. Some factors will be weighted
to give them more influence in arriving
at a final grade. A very thin nacre
thickness, for example, could never
yield a fine quality pearl.
Grading
is relative to the best attainable
quality for the type. For example, South
Sea pearls, which grow in warmer water
for longer periods of time, generally
have a lower luster and more tiny
blemishes than Japanese Akoya pearls,
that grow in colder water and for
shorter periods of time. South Sea
pearls are graded against each other,
not by what would be expected for a
similar quality Akoya pearl.
Lustre
For cultured pearl experts, lustre is
perhaps the most important indicator in
evaluating cultured pearl quality.
Lustre is what separates the inferior
pearl from the superior and the ordinary
from the extraordinary. Lustre is what
many experts term the heart and soul of
the sea-grown gem. Throughout history,
this unique lustre has separated pearls
from all other gems
Lustre: Pearls and Nacre
[click here for more information]
Surface
Surface quality refers specifically to
the abundance or absence of physical
blemishes or flaws. When evaluating
surface (the trade uses such terms as
blemish, spotting and cleanliness),
remember that cultured pearls are grown
by live oysters in nature. As such,
there are many uncontrollable forces
that affect the surface
Shape
Shapes
range in descending order of value from
round to semi-round, from off-round to
oval and from drop to baroque. It's
important to understand that in pearl
industry lingo, generally the shapes
from round to drop are pretty
symmetrical, while anything baroque
denotes a pearl that is completely
asymmetrical or free-form. The
aforementioned shapes usually occur in
Japanese akoya cultured pearls as well
as Tahitian, South Sea and freshwater
pearls.
Size
Cultured pearls are measured by their
diameter in millimeters. They can be
smaller than one millimeter in the case
of tiny seed pearls, or as large as
twenty millimeters for a big South Sea
pearl. The larger the pearl, other
factors being equal, the more valuable
it will be
Color
Cultured pearls come in a variety of
colors from rosé to black. While the
color of a pearl is really a matter of
the wearer’s preference, usually rosé or
silver/white pearls tend to look best on
fair skins while cream and gold toned
pearls are flattering to darker
complexions
Matching
refers to pairs or strands, and
addresses uniformity of color, luster,
shape, spotting and graduation. If
colors are intentionally mixed, it
refers to the attractiveness of the
combination. Even in ‘uniform’ strands,
there will be gradation in size from the
center pearl to those at the ends. Each
pearl in a strand has been selected to
be placed between its neighbor on each
side, and there should be no noticeable
difference between pearls that are
side-by-side. Bead stringer not trained
in stringing pearls may inadvertently
re-string pearls in the incorrect order,
disrupting the imperceptible ‘blend’ of
one pearl to the next and decreasing the
value of the strand.
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