Pearl Buying Guide
AA+
​QUALITY
Surface: minor blemish
Lustre: High
Nacre: Thick
AAA
​QUALITY
Surface: minor blemish
Lustre: High
Nacre: Thick
HANADAMA
​QUALITY
Surface: minor blemish
Lustre: High
Nacre: Thick
Shine
Shine (also known as luster) refers to the surface property that imbues cultured pearls with their beauty and ability to break and reflect light. When checking pearls for lustre, view them while standing with your back to a source of light. The sharper your reflection on the surface of the pearl, the higher is the lustre and the better the quality.
Shape
There are three main shapes of pearls: round, drop and baroque. Perfectly round pearls are the rarest, desirable and therefore more expensive.
Size
Size is a very important determinant of price. Akoya pearl is well-known for its petite size which range from 3mm to 10mm. The greater the size, the higher the price if the quality factors are equivalent.
​Color
The colour of a pearl is dependent on the type of pearl and where in the world it originates. Rarer colours will be more expensive. Hence, pearls exist in a variety of colours such as rose, silver/white, cream, gold, blue/gray and etc.
Surface
Natural imperfections are very common for a pearl. Not every single pearls are the same, all cultured pearls have minor imperfections. These are inevitable, but the degree of imperfection or spots will be dependent on the price. A high-quality cultured pearl is smooth and free of large pits, blemishes or discolorations.
