PEARL GRADING
Pearl grading is an essential aspect to consider when purchasing pearl jewelry. While there is no universal grading standard for pearls, it is important to buy from reputable and trustworthy pearl suppliers that uphold high-quality standards. Chaulri, satisfying thousands of customers, is renowned for its high-quality pearl jewelry.
Freshwater Pearls:
- Size Range: Freshwater pearls range in size from as small as 3mm to as large as 13mm. Pearls below 7mm are considered smaller, while 7-8mm and 8-9mm are popular sizes for necklaces. Sizes from 9-10mm and above are above average and more rare and valuable.
- Grading: Chaulri provides information on pearl grading for Freshwater pearls, including A, AA, AA+, and AAA grades. These grades reflect the surface quality, and luster of the pearls.
| A | AA | AA+ | AAA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVERVIEW | Low Quality: Represents the bottom 60% of a pearl harvest, which we do NOT sell at Chaulri. | Medium Quality: Represents the top 20% of a pearl harvest, commonly found at jewelry stores and major department stores. This grade is NOT sold at Chaulri either. | High Quality: Represents the top 10% of a pearl harvest, found in finer jewelry stores. | Very High Quality: Represents the top 1-2% of a pearl harvest. |
| SURFACE | The pearl surface is heavily blemished with only 50% or less clean surface. | These pearls have minor to medium blemishes with a 70-80% clean surface. | These pearls have minor blemishes with at least 90% of the pearl surface clean. | These pearls have very minor to no blemishes with at least 95% of the pearl surface clean. |
| LUSTER | Poor | Medium | High | Very High |
Japanese Akoya Pearls:
- Size Range: Japanese Akoya pearls range in size from as small as 2mm to as large as 10mm. Pearls below 6.0mm are considered smaller, while sizes between 6.0mm and 8.0mm are commonly selected for pearl jewelry. Pearls sized above 8.0mm are above average and more rare and valuable.
- Grading: Chaulri offers pearl grading for Japanese Akoya pearls, including A, AA, AA+, AAA, and Hanadama grades. These grades represent the surface quality, luster, and nacre thickness of the pearls.
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A
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AA
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AA+
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AAA
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Hanadama
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OVERVIEW
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Low Quality: Represents the bottom 50% of a pearl harvest, which is NOT sold at Chaulri.
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Medium Quality: Represents the top 60% of a pearl harvest, commonly found at jewelry stores and major department stores. This grade is NOT sold at Chaulri.
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High Quality: Represents the top 5-10% of a pearl harvest, found in finer jewelry stores.
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Very High Quality: Represents the top 1-5% of a pearl harvest.
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Hanadama Quality: Represents the highest 1% of a pearl harvest. Accompanied by a numbered certificate by the Pearl Science Laboratory of Japan.
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SURFACE
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These pearls are heavily blemished with only a 50% or less clean surface.
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These pearls have minor to medium blemishes with a 70-80% clean surface.
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These pearls have minor blemishes with at least 90% of the pearl surface clean.
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These pearls have very minor to no blemishes with at least 95% of the pearl surface clean.
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These pearls have a 99% or cleaner pearl surface with either very minor to no blemishes visible.
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LUSTER
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Poor
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Medium
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High
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Very High
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Very High/Superior
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NACRE
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Thin
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Medium
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Thick
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Very Thick
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Very Thick
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Tahitian South Sea Pearls:
- Size Range: Tahitian South Sea pearls range in size from as small as 8mm to as large as 20mm, with 8-9mm, 9-10mm, and 10-11mm being common sizes. Sizes from 11-12mm and above are considered above average and very rare and valuable.
- Grading: Chaulri provides information on pearl grading for Tahitian South Sea pearls, including A, AA, AA+, and AAA grades. These grades indicate the surface quality, luster, and other characteristics of the pearls.
| A | AA | AA+ | AAA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVERVIEW | Low Quality: Represents the bottom 50% of a pearl harvest, which is NOT sold at Chaulri. | Medium Quality: Represents the top 60% of a pearl harvest, commonly found at jewelry stores and major department stores. This grade is NOT sold at Chaulri. | High Quality: Represents the top 5-10% of a pearl harvest, found in finer jewelry stores. | Very High Quality: Represents the top 1-5% of a pearl harvest. |
| SURFACE | These pearls have flaws on at least 60% of the pearl surface, with 20% containing deep imperfections. | These pearls are flawless on 40% of their surface, with the remaining 50% having minor imperfections and 10% containing deep flaws. | These pearls are flawless on at least 80-85% of their surface, with the remaining 15-20% containing only minor imperfections with one or two deep imperfections. | These pearls are flawless on at least 95% of the pearl surface, with 5% concentrated imperfections. |
| LUSTER | Poor | Medium | High | Very High |
| A-D GRADING SYSTEM | "D" Quality | "C" Quality | "A/B" Quality | "A" Quality |
White & Golden South Sea Pearls:
- Size Range: White and Golden South Sea pearls range in size from 7-8mm to as large as 20mm, with 8-9mm, 9-10mm, and 10-11mm being common sizes. Sizes from 11-12mm and above are considered above average and highly rare and valuable.
- Grading: The Chaulri offers pearl grading for White and Golden South Sea pearls, including A, AA, AA+, and AAA grades. These grades represent the surface quality, luster, and other attributes of the pearls.
| A | AA | AA+ | AAA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVERVIEW | Low Quality: Represents the lower 50% of a pearl harvest and NOT sold at Chaulri. | Medium Quality: Represents the top 60% of a pearl harvest, commonly found at jewelry stores and major department stores. This grade is NOT sold at Chaulri. | High Quality: Represents the top 5-10% of a pearl harvest, found in finer jewelry stores. | Very High Quality: Represents the top 1-5% of a pearl harvest. |
| SURFACE | These pearls have flaws on at least 60% of the surface, with 20% containing deep imperfections. | The pearls are flawless on 40% of the surface, with the remaining 50% having minor imperfections and 10% containing deep flaws. | These pearls are flawless on at least 80-85% of their surface, with the remaining 15-20% containing only minor imperfections with one or two deep imperfections. | These pearls are flawless on at least 95% of the surface, with 5% concentrated imperfections. |
| LUSTER | Poor | Medium | High | Very High |
| A-D GRADING SYSTEM | "D" Quality | "C" Quality | "A/B" Quality | "A" Quality |
Please note that the provided information is specific to Chaulri's grading system and may vary from other grading systems. It is always advisable to consult with the specific supplier or jeweler for accurate and detailed grading information.
If you have any further questions or need assistance, please feel free to ask.
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