Determining Pearl Quality ~ What are high quality pearls?
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Pearls are unique among gemstones in
that they are natural, organic products of living creatures, so
they have different grading standards. We want our customers to
make informed decisions when they buy pearls from us. With this
in mind, we've put together this illustrated guide to help answer
some of the most common questions about pearls. Pearl Paradise uses
the most commonly used and internationally recognized ranking system:
A, A+, AA, AA+, and AAA to grade the pearls featured on our website.
On this scale, AAA is gem-quality, the absolute highest quality
pearl available. Six factors determine the quality, value, and beauty
of pearls: nacre, luster, surface, shape, color and size.
Type of Pearl
The first step is to identify the type
of pearl-freshwater, Akoya, or South Sea, the three main pearl types
used in jewelry. Each type of pearl is produced by a different species
of oyster, and each oyster lives in a different region of the world
under very specific climatic conditions.
PEARL NACRE
Nacre is the natural substance that
the mollusk secretes to protect its sensitive flesh from irritants
such as shell fragments or implanted beads. This is the same beautiful
iridescent material that lines the inner surface of the oyster shells,
aptly named mother-of-pearl. As a rule, the thicker the nacre, the
higher quality the pearl is.
PEARL LUSTER
Luster is a combination of surface brilliance
and a deep glow. The luster of good quality pearls should be bright.
You should be able to see your reflection clearly on the surface
of a pearl. Any pearl that appears too white, dull or chalky is
of low quality.
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