SHAPE
| RD | SRD | OV | DP | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROUND | SEMI-ROUND | OVAL | DROP | ||||||
| ROUND | NEAR ROUND | BUTTON | OVAL | LONG | SHORT | PERFECT | LONG | SHORT | REVERSE |
| RD | SRD | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ROUND | SEMI-ROUND | ||
| ROUND | NEAR ROUND | BUTTON | OVAL |
| OV | DP | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVAL | DROP | ||||
| LONG | SHORT | PERFECT | LONG | SHORT | REVERSE |
| RD | |
|---|---|
| ROUND | |
| ROUND | NEAR ROUND |
| SRD | |
|---|---|
| SEMI-ROUND | |
| BUTTON | OVAL |
| OV | |
|---|---|
| OVAL | |
| LONG | SHORT |
| DP | |
|---|---|
| DROP | |
| PERFECT | LONG |
| DP | |
|---|---|
| DROP | |
| SHORT | REVERSE |
| BU | DT | BQ | CIR | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUTTON | TOPPED DROP | BAROQUE | CIRCLE | ||||||
| HIGH | FLAT | TRIANGLE | LONG | SHORT | SMOOTH | ROUGH | SEMI | LIGHT | HEAVY |
| BU | DT | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUTTON | TOPPED DROP | |||
| HIGH | FLAT | TRIANGLE | LONG | SHORT |
| BQ | CIR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAROQUE | CIRCLE | |||
| SMOOTH | ROUGH | SEMI | LIGHT | HEAVY |
| BU | ||
|---|---|---|
| BUTTON | ||
| HIGH | FLAT | TRIANGLE |
| DT | |
|---|---|
| TOPPED DROP | |
| LONG | SHORT |
| BQ | ||
|---|---|---|
| BAROQUE | ||
| SMOOTH | ROUGH | SEMI |
| CIR | |
|---|---|
| CIRCLE | |
| LIGHT | HEAVY |
| KS | |
|---|---|
| KESHI | |
| SMOOTH | ROUGH |
Pearls come in various shapes as they are naturally formed. Shape types are divided into broad shape categories and then further identified by sub-shapes, making product descriptions clear and understandable. Due to the nature of the product, the line between two shapes are sometimes vague; we make great efforts to maintain accuracy as much as we can. |
SURFACE & SKIN
| SURFACE GRADE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| AAA+ | Fully clean surface with no blemishes, or with one drill-spot. |
| AAA | Has a minimum 90% clean face with 1-2 light spots concentrated in one area. |
| AA | Has a 70-90% clean face with 2-3 light spots concentrated in one area. |
| A-1 | Has about a 70-80% clean face with 2-3 spots. |
| A-2 | Has a roughly 60-70% clean face with 2-3 spots. |
| A-3 | Has a 50-60% clean face with 2-4 spots. |
| A-4 | Light spots found on the surface of the pearl without a clear face. |
| A-5 / A-6 / A-7 / A-8 | Commercial grades characterized by blemishes large and small on more than 70% of the pearl’s surface, without a clean face. Typically used to construct strands or necklaces. |
| As a natural product, pearl surfaces inherently contain blemishes, whether they are visible or invisible to the naked eye. With varying kinds of blemishes and marks on a pearl’s surface coupled with where the blemishes are concentrated, it is impossible to attain absolute precision. However, we put great efforts to adhere to our grading system in order to maintain consistency and accuracy. | |
| SKIN GRADE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| TIGHT | Characterized by having a clear and smooth surface structure without (or very slight) skin movement when rolled. |
| NORMAL | Characterized by having some movement in the structure of the nacre when rolled, appearing as small ripples or a slight graininess on the surface. |
| SHARK | Characterized by having heavy nacre movement, appearing as fractures or cracks on the majority of the pearl’s surface. |
| Nacre structures naturally vary from pearl to pearl. There are instances where one part of the pearl is characterized by having tight skin, and another having slight movement. We assess our pearls using these categories carefully, taking into account the intensity as well as the concentration of the movement within the surface of the pearl. Often times, to maintain consistency or availability, and taking into account other grading factors such as color or luster, pearls with tight and normal skin are combined, and thus labeled as such. | |
COLOR
| SOUTH SEA PEARLS | ||
|---|---|---|
| COLOR TYPE | OVERTONES & VARIATIONS | NOTES |
| PINK | INTENSE | Identified with an exceptionally strong color of pink. |
| WHITE | PINK / GREEN / CREAM | |
| SILVER | DARK BLUE / BLUE / DARK SILVER / LIGHT SILVER / PINK | |
| GOLD | DARK GOLD / LIGHT GOLD | |
| YELLOW | DARK YELLOW / LIGHT YELLOW / CREAM / CHAMPAGNE | |
| FANCY | VARIOUS | Demonstrating fancy, unusual colors and overtones. |
| MULTICOLOR | VARIOUS | Containing a mix of various colors. |
| TAHITIAN PEARLS | ||
| PEACOCK | GREEN / RED | Identified with a mix of green and red overtones. |
| GREEN | DARK / MEDIUM / LIGHT / FANCY / INTENSE | |
| BLUE | DARK / MEDIUM / LIGHT | |
| DARK | BLACK / MEDIUM / LIGHT / CHERRY / FANCY | |
| SILVER | DARK / LIGHT | |
| GREY | DARK / MEDIUM / LIGHT | |
| FANCY | VARIOUS | Demonstrating fancy, unusual colors and overtones. |
| MULTICOLOR | VARIOUS | Containing a mix of various colors. |
| Pearls take on the natural color of the oyster in which they are cultivated and present themselves in many subtle variations. Colors are sorted into main group colors that are then further divided into overtones and other variations within each category. To ensure consistency and availability, subtle color variations may be combined and labeled as such. | ||
| SOUTH SEA PEARLS | |
|---|---|
| COLOR TYPE | OVERTONES & VARIATIONS |
| PINK | INTENSE Identified with an exceptionally strong color of pink. |
| WHITE | PINK / GREEN / CREAM |
| SILVER | DARK BLUE / BLUE / DARK SILVER / LIGHT SILVER / PINK |
| GOLD | DARK GOLD / LIGHT GOLD |
| YELLOW | DARK YELLOW / LIGHT YELLOW / CREAM / CHAMPAGNE |
| FANCY | VARIOUS Demonstrating fancy, unusual colors and overtones. |
| MULTICOLOR | VARIOUS Containing a mix of various colors. |
| TAHITIAN PEARLS | |
| PEACOCK | GREEN / RED Identified with a mix of green and red overtones. |
| GREEN | DARK / MEDIUM / LIGHT / FANCY / INTENSE |
| BLUE | DARK / MEDIUM / LIGHT |
| DARK | BLACK / MEDIUM / LIGHT / CHERRY / FANCY |
| SILVER | DARK / LIGHT |
| GREY | DARK / MEDIUM / LIGHT |
| FANCY | VARIOUS Demonstrating fancy, unusual colors and overtones. |
| MULTICOLOR | VARIOUS Containing a mix of various colors. |
| Pearls take on the natural color of the oyster in which they are cultivated and present themselves in many subtle variations. Colors are sorted into main group colors that are then further divided into overtones and other variations within each category. To ensure consistency and availability, subtle color variations may be combined and labeled as such. | |
LUSTER
| LUSTER GRADE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| GEM | Having a bright and brilliant shine with a mirror-like reflection and a vibrant luminescence. |
| HIGH | Showing a strong and vivid shine with a near-clear reflection. |
| MEDIUM | Characterized by a good reflection with a soft shine. |
| LOW | Appearing dull with an opaque surface and minimal reflection. |
| As a natural creation, pearls exhibit a wide spectrum of luster intensities. We assess our pearls in four main luster categories in order to remove nuances that would otherwise hinder the availability and consistency of the product, while still maintaining an accurate standard. Luster grades are sometimes combined to include more than one and labeled as such. | |