Classification and valuation of cultured pearls

The value of cultured pearls is determined by their orientation and brilliance, their color and shades, their size, shape and quality.

Color

The freshwater cultured pearls are often white, sometimes with a natural cream, pink or mauve hue. They are sometimes dyed in the mass (no risk of color transfer) to give pretty bluish or chocolate colors. The chocolate color looks lovely on yellow gold.


Freshwater pearls mounted on silver

The Tahitian cultured pearls have a remarkable variety of shades. The shades, or colors, range from light gray to anthracite gray, including all the nuances found in Tahitian mother-of-pearl (pearl oyster): pink, eggplant, bluish, green, ivory, grayish ivory... Not to mention all the gray nuances with subtle green, eggplant, pink and bluish reflections. The peacock color is much sought-after and rarer. Eggplant, peacock and bluish shades are rarer and more expensive than gray or black pearls.

Tahitian cultured pearl on a gold pendant

The Australian pearls have shades ranging from gray to gold, including the exceptional Champagne hue.
Also known as South Sea pearls and Australian pearls, these pearls are cultivated from Oceania to Indonesia, where different aquatic conditions result in oysters producing orange-tinged pearls. These pearls are often referred to as Indonesian pearls, but are in fact part of the vast family of South Sea pearls.

Australian pearl and silver pendant

The Akoya pearls from Japan are generally white, with superior brilliance and orientation to freshwater pearls. Akoya pearls are sea pearls in delicate shades of white or ivory, sometimes tinged with gold to create stunning jewelry.

Akoya pearls and stud earrings in 18k gold

Size of cultured pearls

Tahitian pearls and Australian pearls (also called South Sea pearls) range in size from 8 mm (rarely smaller) to around 20 mm. The most common size is between 9 and 10 mm, and is highly sought-after.

Freshwater pearls range from 2 mm to around 10-10.5 mm, rarely larger.

Akoya Japanese pearls generally range in size from 5 mm to 10 mm, with a size often used in jewelry of 6 to 7.5 mm.

Shape

Cultured pearls can be round, semi-round, button, drop, pear, oval or baroque. And let's not forget keshis, small, coreless and highly irregular pearls with which the craftsman creates beautiful, unique jewels. Less well known to the public are mabés, a type of flat pearl often used for rings and certain necklaces.

Surface quality

There are two classification systems valid for all cultured pearls: the GIA system (Gemological Institute of America), which is the international reference, and the system used by the Polynesian Perliculture Services (summarized here as SPP). Any other classification is invalid or false; there is no official AAAA or AAA+ classification, for example.

Top Gem: no surface imperfections, exceptional luster.

AAA (GIA) or A (SPP) Pearls with 0 to 5% natural imperfections allowed on their surface, excellent luster and orientation. A possible small deep imperfection on the surface is tolerated.

AA+ ( GIA): high quality cultured pearls with 6 to 15% natural imperfections allowed on their surface, very good luster and orientation. Tolerance of a possible small deep imperfection on the surface.

AA (GIA) or B (SPP): Cultured pearls may show 15 to 25% small natural surface imperfections, beautiful luster. Possible small deep surface imperfections tolerated.

A+ (GIA) or C (SPP): Cultured pearls with surface imperfections not exceeding 30 to 40%. Medium luster. Tolerance of a maximum of 10% deep imperfections on the pearl's surface.

A (GIA) or D (SPP): the cultured pearl has a surface with slight natural imperfections over more than 60% of its surface, with a tolerance of 20% of deep imperfections. The cultured pearl may have white pitting. Luster is low.

Cultured pearls with a quality lower than A (GIA) or D (SPP) are considered rejects and are not sold for export. In addition, all pearls are X-rayed to check nacre thickness for Tahitian pearls. Below 0.8 mm, no Tahitian pearls are exported and remain in Tahiti.

To evaluate and classify a cultured pearl, all these criteria must be taken into account. Namely: the shade and brilliance of the pearl. Tahitian pearls, in particular, vary according to exposure to natural and artificial light and light intensity. To achieve quality pearl pairings for earrings, you need to evaluate the nuance of the pairing of the two pearls under different light conditions!

At POEMANA perles de culture, each piece of jewelry comes with a certificate of authenticity indicating the shape, size, color and quality of the cultured pearl.