Pearl education
Understanding pearl grades
Pearl grading is not standardized. Every company defines its own scale, so the same letters can describe noticeably different pearls from one seller to the next.
A grade is only as meaningful as the standard behind it. Below are the standards we use, how we apply them, what an outside laboratory can confirm, and how to judge a pearl for yourself once it is in your hands.
Choosing your first strand? Start with Jeremy Shepherd's guide to selecting a pearl necklace, then come back here for the detail.
Our grading standards
These are the standards we apply within the range we buy in. They are ours, not an industry standard, and we publish them so you can hold us to them.
Akoya are bead-nucleated, so nacre thickness and quality are real variables rather than a given. They are among the principal factors affecting luster, durability and how a pearl looks over time.
Swipe to compare grades
| Factor | Certified and selectedPearl Paradise Hanadama | AAA | AA+ | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luster | Selected from the upper end of the certified range | Bright and sharp | Bright, edges nearly sharp | Bright but hazy at the edges |
| Shape | Round | Round | Round | Round to near round |
| Surface | Clean to the eye, selected above the certification minimum | 95% clean or better | 85–95% clean | 75–85% clean |
| Matching | Excellent | Good to excellent | Good to excellent | Fair to excellent |
| Nacre | Laboratory verified, then selected for strong nacre quality | Visibly thick | Medium | Thin |
| Determined by | Independent laboratory certification, then our own selection | Pearl Paradise | Pearl Paradise | Pearl Paradise |
Freshwater pearls are now grown two ways. Tissue-nucleated pearls are solid nacre throughout, with no bead inside. Bead-nucleated freshwater pearls, including Edison and fireball types, are grown around a shell bead.
The chart below covers our tissue-nucleated strands. What is genuinely rare in this production is roundness, which is the exception rather than the norm.
Swipe to compare grades
| Factor | Our top gradeFreshadama | AAA | AA+ | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luster | Mirror-like. Reflections hold a hard edge | Bright and sharp | Bright, edges nearly sharp | Bright but hazy at the edges |
| Shape | Round | Round to the eye | Near round | Near round to off round |
| Surface | 98–100% clean | 95% clean or better | 85–95% clean | 75–85% clean |
| Matching | Excellent | Excellent | Good to excellent | Fair to excellent |
| Nacre | Solid nacre throughout. The pearls in this chart are tissue-nucleated, so there is no bead beneath the nacre. | |||
| Selection | Drawn from earring-grade pearls, then checked pearl by pearl | Sorted from the top of our range | Sorted from our range | Sorted from our range |
Tahitian pearls carry naturally dark body colors across an enormous range of overtones, so two strands of the same grade can look nothing alike. We describe body color and overtone individually for each strand rather than folding them into a grade.
Swipe to compare grades
| Factor | Special selectionSelect Gem | AAA | AA+/AAA | AA+ | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luster | The highest available to us | Very high | Very high | Medium to high | Low to medium |
| Shape | Exceptional round, drop or other form, judged by its stated shape | Closely conforms to its stated shape | Closely conforms to its stated shape | Some variation | Noticeable variation |
| Surface | Exceptional. Any marking is slight, or sits where a setting will cover it | Clean overall, with any marking minor enough not to draw the eye | Most pearls very clean, with a few carrying more | More marking, sometimes accepted for the beauty of the strand as a whole | Marking readily visible across the strand |
| Color | Exceptional natural color, saturation or overtone | Described individually for each strand by body color and overtone, not by grade | |||
| Matching | Assembled pearl by pearl | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Fair |
| Nacre | Tahitian pearls are bead-nucleated, so nacre thickness varies from strand to strand. We assess it on every strand we buy, at every grade.
Why this matters more than it used toFrom 1998 until 2017, French Polynesia required exported pearls to meet a minimum nacre thickness. That requirement was retired under the 2017 pearl law, and thin-nacre Tahitian pearls have been legally exportable ever since. It is one reason we judge nacre ourselves rather than treating origin as proof of it.
| ||||
Why some strands read AA+/AAA
A combined grade describes surface variation across a strand, not mixed luster or quality. Every strand is photographed individually, so you can see it before you buy.
How it worksSelect Gem
Exceptional pearls collected one at a time for color, luster, surface and shape, rather than sorted into a grade. Held loose and offered by consultation.
About Select GemSouth Sea pearls grow larger and for longer than any other cultured pearl, in far smaller quantities. Their luster is characteristically soft and satiny rather than sharp, which is a property of the pearl and not a shortfall in quality.
Swipe to compare grades
| Factor | Special selectionSelect Gem | AAA | AA+/AAA | AA+ | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luster | The highest available to us | Very high to excellent | Very high to excellent | Medium to high | Low to medium |
| Shape | Exceptional round, drop or other form, judged by its stated shape | Closely conforms to its stated shape | Closely conforms to its stated shape | Some variation | Noticeable variation |
| Surface | Exceptional. Any marking is slight, or sits where a setting will cover it | Clean overall, with any marking minor enough not to draw the eye | Most pearls very clean, with a few carrying more | More marking, sometimes accepted for the beauty of the strand as a whole | Marking readily visible across the strand |
| Color | Exceptional white or golden color | Optic white through honey gold, described individually for each piece | |||
| Matching | Assembled pearl by pearl | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Fair |
| Nacre | Thick at every grade. South Sea pearls grow for two to four years. | ||||
Why some strands read AA+/AAA
A combined grade describes surface variation across a strand, not mixed luster or quality. Every strand is photographed individually, so you can see it before you buy.
How it worksSelect Gem
Exceptional pearls collected one at a time for color, luster, surface and shape, rather than sorted into a grade. Held loose and offered by consultation.
About Select GemReading the label
Four things worth knowing before you compare grades between sellers.
How these standards are appliedWhy some grades carry a percentage and others do not.
We describe surface quality two ways, because two different things are being judged.
Akoya and freshwater
Production is large and sorting is fine-grained, so a percentage is meaningful. It describes the approximate portion of the visible pearl surface free of characteristics, assessed with the unaided eye under neutral, controlled light, rotating each pearl.
Tahitian and South Sea
These pearls are grown in far smaller numbers. Matching a strand for color, shape and size is the binding constraint, and a strand that matches well will almost always carry some marking. We describe what the strand looks like rather than scoring it, because a percentage cannot tell you whether a mark matters.
In both cases
The number, or the description, is not the whole judgment. Size, depth and location all matter. One deep pit affects a pearl more than several faint pinpoints, and a mark that will sit under a setting is not the same as one on the face of the pearl.
Magnification reveals microscopic texture on any pearl, and that is not part of a retail surface grade. Shape is assessed against the pearl's stated shape rather than roundness alone, so a well-formed drop is judged as a drop. Matching applies to pairs and multi-pearl pieces and is evaluated across the finished piece.
Hanadama is a quality range, not a single levelTwo documented strands can differ several times over in price. Here is why.
Independent laboratory documentation confirms that a strand falls within a defined Hanadama quality range. It does not mean every qualifying strand has the same luster, surface, nacre quality or matching.
Pearl Science Laboratory
PSL evaluates qualifying akoya strands and issues a numbered Hanadama certificate against its published requirements.
GIA
GIA classifies pearls using its seven value factors and adds a comment to the report when qualifying akoya fall within the Hanadama quality range. GIA applies a more stringent standard, so a strand meeting GIA's criteria would meet PSL's, while the reverse is not always true.
What that means for you
The closest familiar comparison is diamond clarity. Imagine every diamond above SI being sold under a single word. A VS2 and a flawless stone would carry the same label at very different prices, and both descriptions would be accurate.
Hanadama works the same way. Two documented strands of the same size and length can differ several times over in price, and both are legitimately Hanadama. We select toward the upper end of that range, particularly on luster, surface and nacre quality.
So when you compare documented strands, compare the pearls rather than the paperwork. Every strand in the comparison has some. Look at luster first, then surface, then how well the pearls agree with each other.
I have been buying akoya in Japan for more than twenty-five years. When a certified strand is put in front of me, I look at luster first, then at how well the pearls agree with each other. Those two things are what separate one Hanadama strand from another, and neither of them appears on the certificate.
— Jeremy Shepherd, Founder
Why some strands are graded AA+/AAAA combined grade used on Tahitian and South Sea strands, and what it describes.
We use the combined grade only on Tahitian and South Sea strands. It describes variation in surface quality across the necklace. It does not mean mixed luster, mixed color or an inconsistently matched strand.
Tahitian and South Sea pearls are not grown at the scale of akoya or freshwater. Matching a strand for color, shape and size is difficult, and once a set meets those requirements, finding enough pearls that are also perfectly clean in every position is close to impossible. Strands will almost always carry some degree of marking.
An AA+/AAA strand is therefore mostly very clean pearls, with a few carrying more. A strand we grade AA+ may have slightly more marking again, and it may also be a strand we bought because it was beautiful as a whole and we judged the trade worth making.
A single grade would conceal that. We would rather state the range that is actually present.
You do not have to take our word for it. Every Tahitian and South Sea strand we sell is photographed individually, and the photograph is of the strand you will receive. What is described here is visible in the product images before you buy.
Select Gem: pearls collected, not simply gradedA special selection beyond the standard scale, and why it works differently.
Select Gem is our designation for exceptional Tahitian and South Sea pearls chosen individually, or in very small lots, for an uncommon combination of luster, color, surface and shape at once. It is not a tier we sort into. It is a collection we build over time.
These are the pearls that ordinarily change hands one at a time at a trade show, or in tiny curated parcels between dealers, rather than being strung into necklaces at all.
We hold them loose. Assembling a full strand is exceptionally difficult, because every pearl has to agree with every other pearl and there is no second lot to draw from if one is wrong. At any moment we hold only a small number.
- ColorExceptional natural color, saturation or overtone. Often the reason a pearl was bought in the first place.
- ShapeExceptional round, drop or other form, judged according to its stated shape. A perfect drop qualifies as readily as a perfect round.
- SurfaceExceptional. Where a mark exists it is slight, or sits where a setting will cover it, on a pearl that is remarkable in every other respect.
- AcquiredOne pearl or one small lot at a time, over months, rather than sorted out of a larger parcel.
- SoldUsually loose, or by consultation for a commissioned piece.
- TimingDepends on availability and matching. A complete strand may take months or longer to assemble.
How to judge pearls yourself
Everything above is our word for it. This is how you check, on any pearls, from any seller, including ours.
First, judge the piece as it will be wornDiffuse daylight, at normal viewing distance. Four things to look at.
Diffuse daylight or neutral room light, at normal viewing distance
Look at overall luster
Stand back. A fine strand reads as bright and alive across its whole length before you examine anything in particular. Direct sun and overhead retail lighting can both mask differences in luster and surface quality.
Read the color
Body color first, then the overtones moving across the surface as the piece turns. On Tahitian and South Sea pearls this is where much of the value sits.
Watch the strand move
Let it hang and turn. A well-matched strand flows evenly, with no single pearl pulling your eye. Pearls described as round should continue to look round as they move.
Compare pearl to neighboring pearl
Every pearl should agree with its neighbors in luster, color, shape and the intended size progression. Surface quality should sit within the stated grade range, with no single characteristic becoming visually distracting.
Then examine the detailsA small directional light, close in. Four more things to look at.
A small directional light, close in
Look at the reflected light source
On a high-luster pearl the reflection has a hard, defined edge and you can almost read shapes in it. On a lower-luster pearl the same reflection is bright but soft, spreading and fading at its edges.
Luster is one of the most important drivers of pearl quality and price, and one of the most revealing differences when pearls are seen under consistent lighting.
Rotate and look at the surface
Turn each pearl fully. You are looking for two things: marks on the surface, and unevenness beneath it. A pearl can be clean to the eye and still appear subtly uneven beneath the surface.
Separate minor from meaningful
Every pearl is an organic gem and may show some texture, and a hard directional light exaggerates it. What matters is whether a characteristic is isolated and faint, or deep and distracting once you step back into normal light.
Judge at normal viewing distance first. Close inspection should explain what you see, not replace how the piece looks worn.
Know what the eye cannot settle
Nacre thickness is a genuine value factor and it is not something you can assess at home. Chalky or dull nacre is a warning sign you can see, but thickness itself is not.
This is the one factor where you are relying entirely on whoever selected the pearls. It is the strongest argument for buying from a specialist with deep experience in evaluating them.
What can be independently verified
Most pearl grading is assigned by the seller, ours included. Here is where an outside party is genuinely involved, and where it is not.
Pearl Science Laboratory
PSL evaluates qualifying akoya strands and issues a numbered Hanadama certificate against its published requirements.
It applies to akoya only, and it confirms a quality range rather than a single level.
GIA
GIA classifies submitted cultured pearls using its seven value factors: size, shape, color, luster, surface, nacre and matching. In 2025 GIA expanded its nacre designation into a five-point scale from Excellent to Poor.
For qualifying akoya, GIA adds a report comment placing the pearls within the Hanadama quality range. It does not issue retail letter grades.
Retail letter grades
A, AA, AA+, AAA and AAAA are not governed by a single universally adopted scale. Each seller defines its own, and no authority issues or withdraws them.
Unless a piece comes with an independent laboratory report, the grade on it was assigned by whoever is selling it.
Including ours
Freshadama, Select Gem and every letter grade on this page are Pearl Paradise designations. We wrote the standards above and we apply them ourselves.
That is why we publish them in this much detail, and why we show you how to check the pearls rather than the paperwork.
Still not sure?
Grades give you a useful starting point, but they cannot tell the whole story. The next step is looking closely at the actual pearls: in the product photographs, during a virtual appointment, and finally in your own light at home.
Our specialists can show you strands under the camera, move them through the light and explain exactly what you are seeing. A virtual consultation runs up to 45 minutes, and most take about twenty.
