The single most important thing to understand: it is impossible to compare grades and grading systems from one company to another.

Every company in the world that grades and sells pearls is using a system that they themselves devised and created. Every system is subjective and every system is unique. We know with certainty, for example, that our AA+ graded akoya pearls have better luster, surface and color than another online seller's AAAA pearls exhibit. This is the unfortunate result of no standardized, universal grading system.

The French Polynesian government has created a system of grading for exporting Tahitian pearls and we tailor our A-AAA grading to match their system as all our Tahitian pearls were legally exported from Tahiti and have gone through this grading process.