Pearl Value Factors

There are 6 main factors to keep in mind when determining a pearls quality and worth: Nacre, Luster, Surface, Shape, Color and Size.

1) Nacre: Nacre is the smooth surface that gives the pearl its beauty. When an irritant enters the oyster or as in the case of cultured pearls is placed inside the oyster, it responds by coating the irritant with layers of nacre. The thicker and smoother the nacre the more valuable the pearl. Good quality Akoya pearls should have a nacre thickness of about 10-15% of the diameter of the pearl - in comparison Tahitian pearls may be up to 50% nacre.

Nacre quality is usually broken up in three categories:

• Acceptable - This pearl isn't chalky. The nacre is usually uniformly thick enough that you cannot see the nucleus, the bead placed in the oyster or mussel to cause it to create nacre. A slight "blink" or glimpse of the nucleus is permissible.
• Nucleus Visible - This pearl shows strong blinking, a flickering of darker and lighter, when you rotate it. The flicker of dark is the nucleus, which can be quite noticeable in thin-nacre pearls.
• Chalky Appearance - a dull and whitish pearl. The thin nacre on these gems never developed that glow that makes a pearl special.

Pearls that are chalky, dull or blink aren't as attractive as those that are gleaming and solid, but they also won't be as durable. freshwaterl pearls are almost completely nacre. They and their saltwater counterparts with thick nacre will look beautiful and last for many years. Pearls with thick nacre have more of a chance of having a high-quality luster. The arrangement and translucence of each nacre plate determines the luster. Some thick-nacre pearls lose points when it comes to value because they don't have great luster.

2) Luster:This is the intense glow that comes from within the pearl, this is produced by light entering the pearl and reflecting back through the layers of nacre. The quality of the luster is directly related to how even and smooth the layers of nacre are. You should be able to see your reflection on the surface of a pearl with good luster. A pearl with no reflection or a dull color is of poor quality.

3) Surface:With pearls the cleaner the surface the more valuable it will be. A good quality pearl will have few blemishes or marks - of course a pearl is from mother nature and few minor blemishes should be expected on all but the finest strands.

No two pearls are alike, and one of the factors that makes each different is its surface quality. Virtually no pearl is perfect, and any flawless specimens are treasures The majority of pearl buyers will have a degree of surface imperfections on their gemstones. Pearl aficionados know that even the finest pearls will have irregularities on the surface. The key factors to surface quality irregularities are how noticeable they are and if they seriously affect the durability of the pearl.

Types of Surface Quality Characteristics
Serious surface quality issues are usually chips and gaps, which will lower the value of even the most lustrous pearls. Why? These particular imperfections can cause the pearl to crack or peel.

Other characteristics include:

• Abrasions - scratches or scuffs that affect the luster or color of the pearl.
• Spots - minor color variations.
• Bumps - tiny bubbles on the surface of the pearl
• Wrinkles - where the nacre isn't smooth. Some surface characteristics are hardly noticeable, even to a pearl expert. A good example would be a minor flaw near the hole drilled in the pearl.
  

Factors That Affect Surface Quality

Some value factors can actually make up for a few minor flaws in a pearl. If a gem is large, a couple of small imperfections won't hurt its value. High luster helps, because it can actually make some surface quality variances less noticeable. One or two pearls with noticeable imperfections in a strand may not lower its value if the rest of the pearls are near flawless, because value is determined by uniformity, not minor variations.

4) Shape: A perfectly round pearl is the most sought after and the most rare of cultured pearls. So rare are round pearls that only 5-10% of a pearl farm's harvest will be even and round. The rest of the harvest will vary from semi-round pearls to asymmetrical baroque pearls.

5) Color: Color does not greatly affect the price of pearls as it is mostly a matter of taste - When choosing a color a general guideline is skin tone. Many women with fair or light colored skin feel rose(pink) overtones look best. While women with dark skin, olive skin or that tan easily find black or cream overtones look best.

6) Size:Pearls can range in size from 1mm seed pearls to huge 20mm South Sea pearls. Cultured pearls of 6 - 7.5mm are the most common, above this size the price jumps upward rapidly with each half-millimeter from 7.5mm up. To date the largest pearl recorded is a 26.95mm baroque south sea pearl.

Pearl Care

Cultured pearls are relatively soft compared to other gemstones and precious metals. So it is important to take special care of your pearls to ensure they will remain bright and beautiful for generations to come.

Cosmetics, perfume and hair spray all contain chemicals that can dull the luster of a pearl over extended periods of time. Even acids contained in body oils and perspiration can work to damage luster in the same way.

Therefore, it is best to put your pearls on after applying makeup, perfume and hair spray. It is also suggested that you wipe down your pearls with the custom micro-fiber cloth provided after each use. Occasionally you may want to dampen the cloth and give your pearls a very thorough wipe down.

Always keep your pearls separated from hard jewelry items, such as metals and other gemstones, to prevent them from scratching your pearls. Pearls are best kept in a soft cloth pouch or a separately lined jewelry box.

If you wear your pearls several times a week, it is best to take them back to your jeweler for re-stringing about once every other year to prevent strand breakage. When having your pearls re-strung, Pearls of Joy advises and uses only silk thread. However, nylon thread is an acceptable alternative. Make sure that the string is knotted between each pearl. Individual knotting will prevent all the pearls in a strand from falling off should a break occur. Knotting also prevents the pearls from rubbing against each other.

Pearl Size

When it comes to quality pearls, like most things, size does matter. A key factor in a pearl's value is its size, with the larger pearls generally being the more prized. What size pearl is the best? It depends on many variables. Here is all the information you need to know to make an informed decision The diameter of every pearl is measured in millimeters, varying from 2 to 20mm and rounded off to the nearest 0.5 mm. Pearls in strands are measured differently. Measurements are taken perpendicular to the drill holes and expressed in half-millimeter ranges, for example, 6 to 6.5 millimeters. A Strand labeled as a 7.5mm strand will be comprised of 7.0mm - 7.5mm pearls, with the smaller pearls being placed near the clasp. If the differential in the strand is greater then 0.5mm then the strand is considered graduated.

Factors Affecting Size:

• The size and vitality of the mollusk that produced it
• The size of the nucleus. The nucleus is the irritant, such as a bead in cultured pearls, at the heart of the pearl.
• The time that the mollusk spent underwater before the pearl was harvested.

The Importance Of Size

Cultured pearl types, which include the freshwater, South Sea, Akoya and Tahitian, usually have a specific size range. However, culturing practices are changing, and you will find more pearl sizes among the different types. Traditionally, Akoya(2.0mm - 11.0mm) and Freshwater pearls(2.0mm - 15.0mm) are smaller pearls and Tahitian or South Sea pearls are much larger(9.0mm - 20.0mm). The value of the size really depends on how unusual it is. Large Akoya cultured pearls are not large by Tahitian standards but a large one would be of higher value that a Tahitian pearl of the same size.

Tahitan and South Sea pearls lack tradition when it comes to size. Being relatively recent additions to the pearl market the general consensus is that bigger is better. On the other hand Akoya pearls and to some extent freshwater pearls are steeped in tradition, with very clear guidelines on what size of pearl is best suited for whom.

What Size Is Right?

When it comes to quality pearls, like most gems, size does matter. A key factor in a pearls value is its size, with the larger pearls generally being the more prized. You should always buy the pearl size that you like. However, Akoya pearls are steeped in tradition from the time when only the rich and royalty could afford a glorious necklace of matched pearls. If you like to buck trends, by all means do it! If you want to go with tradition, follow these guidelines:

• 5.5 mm-6 mm These small pearls are traditionally worn by girls ages 12 to 16 or very small women.
• 6.0-6.5 mm This size is the perfect gift for graduations or 16th birthdays. They are traditionally worn by young women ages 16-24.
• 6.5 mm-7.0 mm A strand of this size is considered the “starter” set for women in their mid 20s on up. It is the traditional birthday, Christmas and Valentine's Day present.
• 7.5 mm-8.0 mm This size, traditionally worn by women age 30 and up, is the strand for the upwardly mobile woman. Not too flashy, 8 mm is big enough to give an air of importance. This size is a traditional wedding or anniversary gift through the fifth year of marriage.
• 8.0 mm-8.5 mm These pearls tend to be more expensive, so they are traditionally worn by women age 35 and up, and often signify financial success.
• 8.5 mm-9.0 mm A strand of this size are perfect for women ages 35 to 45 or a woman in her early 30s of high stature. They exude class.
• 9.0 mm-9.5 mm These are very high-end pearls are traditionally worn by women in their later years. You?ll find these pearls in the jewelry boxes of wealthy women or dedicated pearl collectors.
• 9.5 mm-10.0 mm Pearls are rarely found in this size and even harder to match well, so they fetch a very high price on the jewelry market.

Pearl Colours

Pearls come in wide variety of colors, also known as "palette of colors". From whites, yellows, golden, pinks, blues and black and almost every shade in between. Pearl color refers specifically to the color of the pearl's body, considered the fundamental color of the pearl.Colors generally range from cream, to silver-white (most common), to black (most rare). But there are also color overtones reflected across a pearl's surface. In fact, the color of a pearl more often than not is a meld of its body color and its overtone, a pearl with a "rose overtone" will describe a white pearl with a rose colored hue.

Akoya Pearls
Akoya cultured pearls are white lustrous pearls often associated with the classic pearl strands made famous by Princess Diana and Jackie Onassis. Cultured Akoya pearls come in overtones of rose, Cream and Ivory - the most popular being rose or cream.

Freshwater Pearls
Freshwater pearls come in various pastel shades of white, black, pink, peach, lavender, plum, purple, and tangerine.

South Sea Pearls
South Sea cultured pearls come in shades of lustrous white, often with silver or rosé overtones. They are larger in size than the Akoya pearls and are used in the creation of fine pearl strands and ropes.

Tahitian Pearls
Tahitian pearls are most often in shades of black and gray. While a Tahitian pearl has a black body color, it will vary in its overtones, which most often will be green or pink.


Which color pearl should I purchase?Today, all pearls are cultured, as opposed to natural -- but their color is naturally produced by the oyster.Color does not affect the quality of a pearl, but does affect the perceived beauty of the pearl according to the individual taste of the "eye of the beholder". Some colors have become more popular than others in particular markets. For example, white pearls are the most popular in America, while silver are more sought after in Asia.

A general guideline is skin tone. Many women with fair or light colored skin feel rose overtones look best. While women with dark skin or tan easily find black or cream overtones look best. What color you choose should be based on the personal preference of the person who will wear the pearls.

Pearl Types

Akoya Pearls:
Akoya pearls are the classic white pearl necklace and typically have the highest luster and greatest shine of all cultured pearls. Typical Akoya pearls range from 5 mm to 11 mm, with the 10 and 11 mm sizes rare finds. The most common size and the best value is between 7.0mm - 7.5mm with a sharp jump at anything 8.0mm and above. The Akoya pearl is either white or cream in body color and typically have a rose, cream or Ivory overtone; Akoya pearls may also be treated to achieve a black body color.

Freshwater Pearls:
Freshwater pearls come from freshwater mussels and are primarily produced by China. Freshwater pearls come in various pastel shades of white, black, pink, peach, lavender, plum, purple, and tangerine, depending on the type of mussel. The typical size of freshwater pearls is 2mm - 16mm with 7mm - 8mm being the most common.

Tahitian Pearls:
Tahitian pearls come from the warm waters of the South Seas and are grown in a Black-Lipped oyster. They are the only pearl to achieve a black body color naturally and are typically very large(9mm - 16mm). Tahitian pearls although mostly dark can come in a wide range of hues, including black, gray, silver, green, blue and purple.

South Sea Pearls:
South Sea pearls are saltwater pearls cultivated from the oyster, found in the South Seas centering on Northern Australia and South-East Asia including Myanmar and Indonesia. They produce 10-20 mm pearls of silver or gold color the largest of any cultured pearl. South Sea pearls are also the most expensive pearl on the market, due to thier rarity and thick nacre.

Pearl Shapes

Round:
Round pearls are perfectly spherical -- the shape most people think of when they think of a pearl. This is the most desirable shape for a cultured pearl and the most expensive.

Near Round:
Near round pearls are not perfectly round but very close to round. To the untrained eye they have the appearance of perfectly round pearls but are considerably cheaper. Most freshwater pearls on the market will fall into this category.

Button:
Button pearls are symmetrical pearls that appear to be flattened or squashed to some degree. This shape of pearl is not that common except for freshwater pearls where a round nucleus is not used.

Drop:
Drop pearls are symmetrical in shape but have a tear drop shape. These pearls are most often used in pendants and earrings.

Baroque:
Baroque pearls do not have a definitive shape, except for the fact that they are non-symmetrical or irregular in shape. Baroque pearls can range from off round circle pearls to stick or cross shapes.

Circle:
Circle pearls are baroque pearls but as the name suggests they have visible "circles" or "rings" around the diameter of the pearl.

Pearl Grading

The AAA - A System

This system grades pearls on a scale from AAA to A, with AAA - or commonly known as gem-quality - being the highest grade:

• AAA: The highest-quality pearl, virtually flawless. The surface will have a very high luster, and at least 95% of the surface will be free from any type of defect. The pearl will be perfectly round, and have a mirror-like luster, and a total nacre thickness (Akoya pearls only) of at least .75mm.
• AA: The surface will have a very high luster, and at least 75% of the surface will be free from any type of defect. The luster will be very high, and have a total nacre thickness (Akoya pearls only) of at least .5mm.
• A: This is the lowest jewelry-grade pearl, with a lower luster and/or more than 25% of the surface showing defects. In many cases, if the pearl is being mounted into a piece of jewelry, it can be mounted so that the defects are hidden -- thus providing a lovely jewelry piece at a lesser price. This quality has a chalky appearance and thin nacre, typically of .25mm or less. This thin nacre is due to early harvesting of the pearl.