JEWELLERY - Cultured Pearl

The 6 Cultured Pearl Quality Factors

There are 6 main factors to keep in mind when determining a pearls quality and worth:

Nacre, Luster, Surface, Shape, Color and Size.

Nacre:

Nacre is the smooth surface that gives the pearl its beauty. When an irritant enters the oyster or as in the case of cultured pearls is placed inside the oyster, it responds by coating the irritant with layers of nacre. The thicker and smoother the nacre the more valuable the pearl. Good quality Akoya pearls should have a nacre thickness of about 10-15% of the diameter of the pearl - in comparison Tahitian pearls may be up to 50% nacre.

Luster:

This is the intense glow that comes from within the pearl, this is produced by light entering the pearl and reflecting back through the layers of nacre. The quality of the luster is directly related to how even and smooth the layers of nacre are. You should be able to see your reflection on the surface of a pearl with good luster. A pearl with no reflection or a dull color is of poor quality.

Surface:

With pearls the cleaner the surface the more valuable it will be. A good quality pearl will have few blemishes or marks - of course a pearl is from mother nature and few minor blemishes should be expected on all but the finest strands.

Shape:

A perfectly round pearl is the most sought after and the most rare of cultured pearls. So rare are round pearls that only 5-10% of a pearl farm's harvest will be even and round. The rest of the harvest will vary from semi-round pearls to asymmetrical baroque pearls.

Color:

Color does not greatly affect the price of pearls as it is mostly a matter of taste - When choosing a color a general guideline is skin tone. Many women with fair or light colored skin feel rose(pink) overtones look best. While women with dark skin, olive skin or that tan easily find black or cream overtones look best.

Size:

Pearls can range in size from 1mm seed pearls to huge 20mm South Sea pearls. Cultured pearls of 6 - 7.5mm are the most common, above this size the price jumps upward rapidly with each half-millimeter from 7.5mm up. To date the largest pearl recorded is a 26.95mm baroque south sea pearl.

Which color pearl should I purchase?

Today, all pearls are cultured, as opposed to natural -- but their color is naturally produced by the oyster.

Color does not affect the quality of a pearl, but does affect the perceived beauty of the pearl according to the individual taste of the "eye of the beholder". Some colors have become more popular than others in particular markets. For example, white pearls are the most popular in America, while silver are more sought after in Asia.

A general guideline is skin tone. Many women with fair or light colored skin feel pink overtones look best. While women with dark skin or tan easily find black or cream overtones look best.

What color you choose should be based on the personal preference of the person who will wear the pearls.

What Size Of Pearl Is Right For You?

When it comes to quality pearls, like most gems, size does matter. A key factor in a pearls value is its size, with the larger pearls generally being the more prized.

You should always buy the pearl size that you like. However, pearls are steeped in tradition from the time when only the rich and royalty could afford a glorious necklace of matched pearls. If you like to buck trends, by all means do it! If you want to go with tradition, follow these guidelines:

• 5.5 mm-6 mm These small pearls are traditionally worn by girls ages 12 to 16 or very small women.
• 6.0-6.5 mm This size is the perfect gift for graduations or 16th birthdays. They are traditionally worn by young women ages 16-24.
• 6.5 mm-7.0 mm A strand of this size is considered the “starter” set for women in their mid 20s on up. It is the traditional birthday, Christmas and Valentine's Day present.
• 7.5 mm-8.0 mm This size, traditionally worn by women age 30 and up, is the strand for the upwardly mobile woman. Not too flashy, 8 mm is big enough to give an air of importance. This size is a traditional wedding or anniversary gift through the fifth year of marriage.
• 8.0 mm-8.5 mm These pearls tend to be more expensive, so they are traditionally worn by women age 35 and up, and often signify financial success.
• 8.5 mm-9.0 mm A strand of this size are perfect for women ages 35 to 45 or a woman in her early 30s of high stature. They exude class. Jacqueline Kennedy?s famous pearls were this size.
• 9.0 mm-9.5 mm These are very high-end pearls are traditionally worn by women in their later years. You?ll find these pearls in the jewelry boxes of wealthy women or dedicated pearl collectors.
• 9.5 mm-10.0 mm Pearls are rarely found in this size and even harder to match well, so they fetch a very high price on the jewelry market. Former First Lady Barbara Bush owns pearls this size.

Cultured Pearl Grading Systems

As with any other item that can appear in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and conditions, a standardized system of grading must be used when purchasing or selling pearls. Only in this way can the pearl be described according to mutually agreed-upon and understood terms, so that both buyer and seller can determine a fair price.

Unfortunately, the pearl industry as a whole has not adopted a universally used standard grading system. Instead, the specific grading system used often depends upon the specific jeweler. Two major grading systems are in fairly widespread use, and used by nearly every major pearl retailer in the United States: the AAA-A system and the A-D system (also called the Tahitian system).

Even these systems, however, can become misleading if a seller uses terms from the grading system (such as "AAA"), but uses them to describe a different quality pearl than that which the system is generally understood to be describing. Or a seller could use a term not in the grading system (such as "AAAA" or "AAA+") to make it appear that the pearl is beyond even the highest standard quality -- when in reality, that seller's "AAAA" pearls are actually equivalent to the more-common "AAA" grade, and his "AAA" pearls might only be equivalent to the commonly used "AA."

For reasons such as these, it's extremely important when purchasing pearls to be absolutely certain of the meaning of any descriptive terms used by the seller. If possible, ask to see a written description of each grading term, so that you know exactly what the grade implies. Reputable jewelers will be happy to comply with such a request. Only in this way will you be able to determine if the price the seller is asking is reasonable.

 

The AAA - A System

This system grades pearls on a scale from AAA to A, with AAA - or commonly known as gem-quality - being the highest grade:

• AAA: The highest-quality pearl, virtually flawless. The surface will have a very high luster, and at least 95% of the surface will be free from any type of defect. The pearl will be perfectly round, and have a mirror-like luster, and nacre depth (Akoya pearls only) of at least .75mm.
• AA: The surface will have a very high luster, and at least 75% of the surface will be free from any type of defect. The luster will be very high, and have a nacre depth (Akoya pearls only) of at least .5mm.
• A: This is the lowest jewelry-grade pearl, with a lower luster and/or more than 25% of the surface showing defects. In many cases, if the pearl is being mounted into a piece of jewelry, it can be mounted so that the defects are hidden -- thus providing a lovely jewelry piece at a lesser price. This quality has a chalky appearance and thin nacre, typically of .25mm or less. This thin nacre is due to early harvesting of the pearl.
• Pearls that do not fall into the ranking categories above are typically either sold in beading stores, or simply stripped of their nacre, which is then ground to be used in makeup and other beautifying aids.

Obviously, these grading categories are quite broad and leave room for interpretation and individual judgment. Also note that in multi-pearl pieces such as strands, necklaces, bracelets, etc., all of the individual pearls may not absolutely meet the indicated grade level. For example, a strand referred to as "AAA" must have most of its pearls as AAA pearls. However, a few pearls could have slightly lower luster or a tiny bit more surface defects. This is because matching is also a primary consideration in multi-pearl jewelry, sometimes even overriding a very strict grading of each individual pearl.

 

The A - D System (or Tahitian System)

This system grades pearls on a scale from A to D, with A being the highest grade. This is the system used in French Polynesia (based on a government standard there) to grade Tahitian pearls. It is therefore sometimes referred to as the "Tahitian system." To make your shopping experience easier at PearlsOfJoy.com we utilize the AAA-A system for all of our pearls.

• A: The highest-quality pearl, with very high luster with only minor imperfections over less than 10% of its surface. These imperfections are then used as marks for drill holes.
• B: High or medium luster. Surface may have some visible imperfections, but over no more than 30% of its area.
• C: Medium luster with surface defects over not more than 60% of the surface area
• D: May have many slight defects, but no deep ones, spread over 60% of its surface; or deep defects over no more than 60% of its surface; or a combination of minor and deep defects over no more than 60% of its surface. In this grade of pearl, the luster is irrelevant. Even the most lustrous pearls will be graded D if their surface is blemished to this extent.
• Pearls below D grade are considered not acceptable for use in jewelry.

Both of the grading systems described above focus primarily on the luster and surface quality of the pearl to determine its grade. But keep in mind that other factors also contribute to the quality of any pearl. One of the most important is the thickness of the nacre, which often determines how durable the pearl will be over time. The thicker the nacre, the stronger and longer-lasting the pearl (provided it is treated well, of course!).

For Tahitian pearls, the government of French Polynesia has set a minimum nacre thickness of 0.8 millimeters. Any pearls with nacre of less than that thickness are not allowed to be sold. Keeping in mind that Tahitian pearls tend to be larger than many other pearls (such as Akoyas), you can use this rule as a guideline when evaluating your own potential pearl purchases.

 

Pearl Colours

Pearls come in wide variety of colors, also known as "palette of colors". From whites, yellows, golden, pinks, blues and black and almost every shade in between. Pearl color refers specifically to the color of the pearl's body, considered the fundamental color of the pearl.

Colors generally range from cream, to silver-white (most common), to black (most rare). But there are also color overtones reflected across a pearl's surface. In fact, the color of a pearl more often than not is a meld of its body color and its overtone, a pearl with a "pink overtone" will describe a white pearl with a pink colored hue.

Akoya Pearls

Akoya cultured pearls are white lustrous pearls with usually cream or pink colored overtones. These are the classic pearls most often used in pearl strands. Classic cultured Akoya pearls come in shades of white, the most valuable shades being pink and white.

Freshwater Pearls

Freshwater pearls come in various pastel shades of white, black, pink, peach, lavender, plum, purple, and tangerine.

South Sea Pearls

South Sea cultured pearls come in shades of lustrous white, often with silver or rosé overtones. They are larger in size than the Akoya pearls and are used in the creation of fine pearl strands and ropes.

Tahitian Pearls

Tahitian pearls are most often in shades of black and gray. While a Tahitian pearl has a black body color, it will vary in its overtones, which most often will be green or pink.

Cultured Pearl Care At Pearls Of Joy

Cultured pearls are relatively soft compared to other gemstones and precious metals. So it is important to take special care of your pearls to ensure they will remain bright and beautiful for generations to come.

Cosmetics, perfume and hair spray all contain chemicals that can dull the luster of a pearl over extended periods of time. Even acids contained in body oils and perspiration can work to damage luster in the same way.

Therefore, it is best to put your pearls on after applying makeup, perfume and hair spray. Wiping the pearls with a soft damp cloth after you wear them will ensure that they remain free from any harmful build-ups of these compounds. Periodically, the pearls should be washed with a mild soap.

Always keep your pearls separated from hard jewelry items, such as metals and other gemstones, to prevent them from scratching your pearls. Pearls are best kept in a soft cloth pouch or a separately lined jewelry box.

If you wear your pearls several times a week, it is best to take them back to your jeweler for re-stringing about once every other year to prevent strand breakage. When having your pearls re-strung, Pearls of Joy advises and uses only silk thread. However, nylon thread is an acceptable alternative. Make sure that the string is knotted between each pearl. Individual knotting will prevent all the pearls in a strand from falling off should a break occur. Knotting also prevents the pearls from rubbing against each other.

Source: Victor Azzopardi Jewellers