Pearl Quality

At The Pearl Shop, we're committed to offering attainable pearl jewelry because we believe everyone should have access to these natural beauties. We primarily source A to AA pearls and will occasionally offer AAA pearls. It's also important to us to educate our community about pearls so they feel confident knowing what to look for and purchase according to their wants and needs.

There are two main grading systems you may see:

A–AAA System (most common for Freshwater and Akoya)

AAA: Highest quality - excellent luster, round, clean surface.

AA: Very good, minor imperfections.

A: Lower luster, visible flaws.

A–AAAA System (sometimes used for Tahitian and South Sea)

AAAA: Top-grade, very rare.

AAA – AA: Good to high quality with slight surface flaws.

A: Lower grade, more affordable.

Gem-quality pearls are the highest-grade pearls available: rare, exceptional, and truly investment-worthy. They meet or exceed the most stringent criteria across all pearl quality factors:

Characteristics of Gem-Quality Pearls:

Luster: Exceptionally high and mirror-like, often described as “wet” or glowing from within.

Surface: Virtually flawless with little to no visible blemishes, even under close inspection.

Shape: Perfectly round or symmetrical (if a non-round shape), with exceptional balance and proportion.

Nacre Thickness: Very thick nacre, ensuring both durability and long-term beauty.

Color & Overtone: Vivid, naturally occurring colors with rich overtones and depth.

Only about 1% - 5% of all harvested pearls are considered gem quality.

The 6 Key Factors That Determine Pearl Quality

1. Luster (Shine)
Luster is arguably the most important factor in pearl quality. It refers to how much light reflects off the surface and through the layers of nacre (the substance that forms the pearl).

Excellent Luster: Bright, sharp reflections; mirror-like surface.

Good Luster: Bright with slightly blurry reflections.

Poor Luster: Dull or chalky appearance.

High-luster pearls are more radiant, eye-catching, and valuable.

2. Surface Quality
The fewer the blemishes or spots, the more valuable the pearl. Small imperfections are common and natural, but a clean surface enhances both appearance and price.

Clean: Little to no visible flaws.

Lightly Spotted: A few small marks or dimples.

Moderately to Heavily Spotted: Obvious blemishes; usually less expensive.

3. Shape
While perfectly round pearls are the rarest and most sought-after, many buyers prefer organic, off-round, or baroque shapes for their unique, artistic quality.

Round: Ideal and most valuable.

Near-Round: Slightly off, but mostly symmetrical.

Button: Flattened on one side.

Baroque: Irregular and abstract, beautifully unique.

Drop: Pear-shaped and often used in earrings.

4. Size
Pearl size is measured in millimeters and affects both price and presence. Larger pearls are rarer and often more valuable.

Freshwater pearls usually range from 6–10mm.

Tahitian and South Sea pearls can reach 12–16mm or more.

Choose based on your personal style: smaller pearls feel delicate and subtle, while larger ones make a bold statement.

5. Nacre Thickness
The nacre is the luminous coating that forms the pearl. Thicker nacre means better durability and deeper luster.

Thick Nacre: Long-lasting, rich glow.

Thin Nacre: Prone to chipping or peeling over time.

6. Color & Overtone
Pearls come in a wide range of natural colors - white, cream, pink, lavender, golden, gray, even black. Beyond color, pearls often have overtones, or subtle iridescent hues layered on top.

Cool Tones: Silver, blue, green.

Warm Tones: Rose, cream, gold.