Beauty and Virtues – Grading

White South Sea Pearls – Beauty and Virtues

South Sea Pearls come in at least eight different hues, eight different shapes, at least 15 sizes and myriad levels of lustre and surface perfection.

Lustre

is the most important factor in grading. The inner glow of the pearl combined with the surface brilliance defines lustre. The greater the lustre, the thicker the nacre and the stronger the glow.

Complexion

South Sea Pearls are organic gems, and may possess the hallmarks of nature which are imperfections in their surface. The fewer surface blemishes, the more valuable the pearl.

Size:

8-14 mm pearls are more plentiful, 15-19 mm pearls are spectacular, and pearls over 20 mm are truly collector’s items.

Colour:

Different species of oysters produce a characteristic range of colours, ranging from silver, silver pink, white, white rose, cream, champagne, golden white to the mysterious deep golden colour.

Shape:

Because pearls are created organically they can often be different in shape, some perfectly round, others beautifully irregular. Shapes can be classified as round, semi-round, drop, button, baroque, semi-baroque, circle and keshi. Shape can be influenced by where the seed is placed in the oyster.

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