pearl grading
It is important to note that often times grading is subjective and consumers might be told that they are getting "AAAA Quality" pearls, when in fact the pearls are of lesser quality. This is the reason why it is CRUCIAL to work with companies who have solid reputations in their industries, as well as ample reviews from similar customers such as yourself.
Freshwater pearls typically range in size from 6mm to 12mm, though occasionally some larger sizes can be found. Freshwater pearls below 7mm are considered small in size. 7mm through 9mm are generally the more popular sizes selected for necklaces, while anything above 10mm is considered to be more rare and valuable, especially in the higher qualities. Typically the larger the freshwater pearl the more difficult it is to find a round, lustrous pearl in that size. This is especially the case in pearls over 10mm in size.
| A | AA | AAA | AAAA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information | Low Quality Freshwater representing tde bottom 60% of pearl harvest. (Not Sold at Laguna Pearl) | Medium-Grade Freshwater representing top 20% of Harvest. Commonly found at jewelry stores and major department stores. (Not Sold at Laguna Pearl) | High-Grade Freshwater representing tde top 10% of a pearl harvest. Found in Fine Jewelry Stores. | High-Grade Freshwater representing tde top 10% of a pearl harvest. Found in Fine Jewelry Stores. |
| Surface | Heavy Blemishing witd only 50% or less clean surface. | Minor to medium blemishing witd a 70-80% clean surface. | Minor Blemishing witd at least 90% of tde pearl surface clean. | Very Minor to no blemishing witd at least 95% of tde pearl surface clean. |
| Luster | Poor | Medium | High | Very High |
| Shape | Off Round | Off Round | Near Round to Round | Round |
Akoya pearls range in size from as small as 4.0mm to as large as 10.0mm. Akoya pearls below 7.0mm in size are considered to be below-average in size. Necklaces ranging from 7.0mm to 8.0mm are generally more popular, while anything above 8.0mm is considered to be more rare and valuable, especially in higher qualities. Laguna Pearl is proud to offer one of the most extensive akoya pearl collections on the internet. Furthermore, we are one of the only companies to have akoya pearl necklaces that are sized at 9.5- 10.0mm in size, which are among the rarest akoya pearls in the world!
| A | AA | AA+ | AAA | HANADAMA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information | Low Quality Akoya representing the bottom 50% of pearl harvest. (Not Sold at Laguna Pearl) | Medium-Grade Akoya representing top 60% of Harvest. Commonly found at jewelry stores and major department stores. (Not Sold at Laguna Pearl) | High-Grade Akoya representing the top 5-10% of a pearl harvest. Found in Fine Jewelry Stores. | High-Grade Akoya representing the top 5-10% of a pearl harvest. Found in Fine Jewelry Stores. | GEM Quality Akoya representing the highest 1% of a pearl harvest. Accompanied by numbered certificate by the Pearl Science Laboratory of Japan. |
| Surface | Heavy Blemishing with only 50% or less clean surface. | Minor to medium blemishing witd a 70-80% clean surface. | Minor Blemishing witd at least 90% of tde pearl surface clean. | Very Minor to no blemishing witd at least 95% of tde pearl surface clean. | 99% or cleaner pearl surface with either very minor to no blemishes visible. |
| Luster | Poor | Medium | High | Very High | Superior |
| Nacre | Thin | Medium | Thick | Very Thick | Very Thick |
| Shape | Round/Off Round | Round | Perfectly Round | Perfectly Round | Perfectly Round |
Tahitian pearls generally range in size from as small as 8mm to as large as 16mm. Pearls below 10mm are typically considered small in size. 10mm until 12mm are generally the more popular sizes selected for necklaces, while anything above 13mm is considered to be larger, rarer, and much more valuable (especially in the higher qualities like AAA Quality). Tahitian pearl necklaces often graduate in size, we offer both graduated (i.e., 10-12mm or 11-13mm strands) and non-graduated (i.e., 9-10mm and 10-11mm strands) pearl necklaces. None of our graduated necklaces graduate by more than 3 millimeters. They graduate slowly and evenly in size from the smallest-size pearls in the back to the largest in the front of the necklace.
| A | AA | AAA | AAAA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information | Low-Grade Tahitian pearls representing the bottom 40% of pearl harvest. (Not Sold at Laguna Pearl) | Medium-Grade Tahitian pearls representing the top 60% of Harvest. Commonly found at jewelry stores and major department stores. (Not Sold at Laguna Pearl | High-Grade Tahitian pearls representing the top 5-10% of a pearl harvest. Found in Fine Jewelry Stores. | High-Grade Tahitian pearls representing the top 2% of a pearl harvest. |
| Surface | Pearls having flaws on at least 60% of the pearl surface, with 20% containing deep imperfections. | Flawless pearl on 40% if its surface, with the remaining 50% having minor imperfections and 10% containing deep flaws. | Flawless pearl on at least 80-85% of its surface, with the remaining 15-20% containing only minor imperfections with one or two deep imperfections. | Flawless pearl on at least 95% of the pearl surface, with 5% having slight concentrated imperfections. |
| Luster | Poor | Medium | High | Very High |
South Sea pearls dominate among pearl types when it comes to size, and are generally found between 9mm and 15mm, though some pearls can be found as large as 20mm. These larger and extremely rare pearls are very valuable, especially in the higher qualities. Pearls below 10mm are typically considered small in size. 10mm until 12mm are generally the more popular sizes selected for necklaces, while anything above 13mm is considered to be larger, rarer, and more valuable. South Sea pearl necklaces often graduate in size, though Laguna Pearl offers both graduated and non-graduated pearl necklaces.
| A | AA | AAA | AAAA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information | Low-Grade South Sea pearls representing the bottom 40% of pearl harvest. (Not Sold at Laguna Pearl) | Medium-Grade South Sea pearls representing the top 60% of Harvest. Commonly found at jewelry stores and major department stores. (Not Sold at Laguna Pearl | High-Grade South Sea pearls representing the top 5-10% of a pearl harvest. Found in Fine Jewelry Stores. | High-Grade South Sea pearls representing the top 2% of a pearl harvest. |
| Surface | Pearls having flaws on at least 60% of the pearl surface, with 20% containing deep imperfections. | Flawless pearl on 40% if its surface, with the remaining 50% having minor imperfections and 10% containing deep flaws. | Flawless pearl on at least 80-85% of its surface, with the remaining 15-20% containing only minor imperfections with one or two deep imperfections. | Flawless pearl on at least 95% of the pearl surface, with 5% having slight concentrated imperfections. |
| Luster | Poor | Medium | High | Very High |
Nacre thickness is an important factor when measuring a pearl's quality. Laguna Pearl is committed to offering pearls that consist of very thick nacre coatings. In truth, most governments set a minimum nacre thickness to prevent low quality pearls from being exported from the country. Furthermore, all pearls are x-rayed and evaluated prior to export to ensure that they meet the strict nacre standards of their particular region. Therefore, all pearls on the retail market have already been approved by this standard. All pearls used by Laguna Pearl have undergone these inspections to ensure that they are of the highest quality.
Choose from a variety of the finest designer clasps with double safety mechanisms
Solid 14K or 18K gold posts with high quality secure backings
Solid 14K or 18K gold posts with high quality secure backings
Solid 14K or 18K gold posts with high quality secure backings
Our pearls are imported directly from their country of origin, to uphold the highest pearl quality standards
Our pearls are imported directly from their country of origin, to uphold the highest pearl quality standards
pearl types
Read our brief summaries below to educate yourself regarding the origin, value, size and quality of each pearl type.
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pearl sizing
The largest pearl sizing is available through South Sea pearls, where the largest and highest quality pearls are available
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pearl shapes
Pearls are typically assigned to four categories in the sorting process: Round/Semi-Round, Drop, Baroque, and Circle Baroque.
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