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PEARL KNOWLEDGE
Pearl Grading
Types of Pearls
Pearl Care
More Pearl Knowledge
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Pearl Grading
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Pearl Grading
We want your experience with buying pearls to be great. To help you better understand your pearls, we have outlined the 7 factors that the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has issued in helping determine the value and quality of pearls.
Grading Criteria:
Luster
The luster or the shine of a pearl is a critical factor in judging the quality of the pearl. For high quality, not only should the surface emit a shine, but there should be a deep glow emanating from within the pearl. Therefore, a pearl with a shiny, deep glow would be considered more desirable than one with a dull or chalky appearance.
Surface
Another criterion in judging pearls is the condition of its surface. In other words, we need to consider the amount and kind of blemishes on the surface. The fewer blemishes that a pearl has, the more valuable it is.
Nacre
Mollusks secrete nacre, layer, upon layer, creating a pearl. Nacre quality is based upon its thickness, with the thicker being better. It should be noted that valuing nacre quality in freshwater pearls is not as important as it is with salt water pearls, like Akoya, since freshwater pearls are traditionally almost entirely made of nacre; salt water pearls have a bead at its core, surrounded by nacre.
Shape
In general, the rounder the pearl, the more valuable it is. Pearls with a beaded core are almost always nearly perfectly round. Also, it is worth noting that non-round pearls, like baroque, can be considered valuable, too, as they are so unique and fashionable.
Color
Pearl colors are almost unlimited. For the most part though, color does not really impact the value of the pearl. However, depending on the type of pearl, some colors can be considered more highly desirable than others.
For the most part, the larger the pearl, the more valuable it is. Pearls are measured in millimeters (mm), ranging from 1mm to 20mm.
With pearls being created organically, it is extremely rare that two pearls will be exact. Therefore, when pearls are gathered for a piece of jewelry, pearls that are closely similar will make the piece of jewelry more desirable.
We want your experience with buying pearls to be great. To help you better understand your pearls, we have outlined the 7 factors that the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has issued in helping determine the value and quality of pearls.
Grading Criteria:
Luster
The luster or the shine of a pearl is a critical factor in judging the quality of the pearl. For high quality, not only should the surface emit a shine, but there should be a deep glow emanating from within the pearl. Therefore, a pearl with a shiny, deep glow would be considered more desirable than one with a dull or chalky appearance.
Surface
Another criterion in judging pearls is the condition of its surface. In other words, we need to consider the amount and kind of blemishes on the surface. The fewer blemishes that a pearl has, the more valuable it is.
Nacre
Mollusks secrete nacre, layer, upon layer, creating a pearl. Nacre quality is based upon its thickness, with the thicker being better. It should be noted that valuing nacre quality in freshwater pearls is not as important as it is with salt water pearls, like Akoya, since freshwater pearls are traditionally almost entirely made of nacre; salt water pearls have a bead at its core, surrounded by nacre.
Shape
In general, the rounder the pearl, the more valuable it is. Pearls with a beaded core are almost always nearly perfectly round. Also, it is worth noting that non-round pearls, like baroque, can be considered valuable, too, as they are so unique and fashionable.
Color
Pearl colors are almost unlimited. For the most part though, color does not really impact the value of the pearl. However, depending on the type of pearl, some colors can be considered more highly desirable than others.
For the most part, the larger the pearl, the more valuable it is. Pearls are measured in millimeters (mm), ranging from 1mm to 20mm.
With pearls being created organically, it is extremely rare that two pearls will be exact. Therefore, when pearls are gathered for a piece of jewelry, pearls that are closely similar will make the piece of jewelry more desirable.