PEARL GRADING

Understanding pearl grading is crucial before buying jewelry. Due to the absence of universal standards, choose reputable suppliers with high-quality standards. With numerous positive customer testimonials online, Preala has a reputation for exceeding expectations in providing top-notch pearl jewelry.

A-AAAA Pearl Grading for Akoya and Freshwater Pearls

The A-AAAA Grading Scale has been adapted from the Tahitian and South Sea pearl A-D Grading systems that most pearl farmers use to evaluate their pearls. With the A-AAAA Grading Scale, each grade has a specific range of Value Factors that a pearl has to meet in order to meet the requirements for that grade.Value factors are weighted heavily towards Luster, Surface Quality and Nacre Thickness, with factors like Color, Size, Shape and Matching accounting for a lesser percentage of a pearl's total grade within the A-D / A-AAAA Grading System.

AAAA Grade / A Grade

  • Surface Quality is 95% Clean or better.
  • Luster is Very High to Excellent: Reflections on pearl surface should be Easily Recognizable.
  • Pearl Earrings are clean on front and sides.
  • Pearl Necklaces and Bracelets will be blemish-free for casual observers. Some tiny inclusions allowable, but nothing major.
  • Akoya pearls should feature Excellent matching for necklaces and bracelets. There should be virtually no difference between each pearl in a necklace, bracelet or matched set.
  • Freshwater pearl necklaces, bracelets and matched sets will have very little differences for matching for shape, size and surface quality.

AAQuality / C Grade

  • Surface Quality is 75-80% Clean or better.
  • Nacre is solid for Freshwater pearls. May be thin in places for Akoya pearls.
  • Luster is Good to High: Reflections on pearl surface will be blurry.
  • Earrings are not clean on fronts.
  • Pearl Necklaces and Bracelets will feature multiple blemishes, and some deeper inclusions.
  • Akoya pearls should feature Very Good matching for necklaces and bracelets.
  • Freshwater pearl necklaces, bracelets and matched sets will feature differences in matching for shape, size and surface quality.

A-D Tahitian and South Sea Pearl Grading

The A-D Grading Scale is primarily used by farmers and processors for Tahitian and South Sea pearls. It easily corresponds to the more widely known A-AAAA Grading Scale that Preala uses. With the A-D Grading Scale, “A” represents the highest quality, and then moves down through B,C and D which represents the lowest, commercial grade.Let's look at these in more detail:

A Grade / AAAA Quality

  • Extremely thick nacre. For Tahitian pearls, nacre depth is a minimum of 0.8mm. White and Golden South Sea pearls average 2-4mm nacre thickness.
  • Surface Quality is 90% clean of blemishes or better.
  • Earrings, Pendants and Rings will set clean on front and sides. One small inclusion allowable on back.
  • Necklaces will present as mostly clean, with a few small, shallow blemishes allowable with up-close scrutiny. No deep inclusions allowed.
  • Luster will be Very High to Excellent. Reflections in the surfaces highly detailed, but some blurring is allowable.

C Grade / AA Quality

  • Extremely thick nacre. For Tahitian pearls, nacre depth is a minimum of 0.8mm. White and Golden South Sea pearls average 2-4mm nacre thickness.
  • Surface Quality is 70% clean of blemishes or better.
  • Earrings, Pendants and Rings will not set clean on front. Moderate inclusions allowable on front and sides, deeper inclusions allowable on sides and back.
  • Necklaces will present as spotted, with combination of small and medium-sized blemishes allowable throughout the strand. Up to 4-5 deep inclusions allowed.
  • Luster will be Good to High. Reflections are blurry.