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In general, there’re 7 factors that affect the pearl value: shape, size, colour, lustre, surface quality, nacre quality and matching. Like the 4Cs of diamond valuation, the pearl’s 7 value factors are created by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) to standardise pearl grading systems. They represent the main components of a pearl’s characteristics and beauty in a more balanced and comprehensive manner. However, it is not true when valuating pearls of different varieties. As shown in the image below, you can easily see the difference in pearl sizes when you compare the size of the Tahitian oyster shell against that of the akoya pearl-bearing oyster. So how can you tell if the pearls you own are natural or cultured? Unfortunately, you won’t be able to spot the difference without proper gemological and laboratory tests. Testing methods such as X-rays, energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence, laser light, and Raman spectrometry will help separate natural from cultured pearls. What Affects The Value Of A Pearl? One thing to bear in mind – some jewellery intentionally mismatches pearls to achieve a specific look. What matters in this case is the visual harmony of the design rather than the uniformity mentioned above. The Value of Conch Pearls and Melo Pearls When other value factors are equal, the second most valuable shape is near-round, and then followed next in value by other symmetrical shapes like oval, button, drop and baroque. How Pearl Size Impacts Its Value?

Pearls that have no blemishes at all or contain very tiny surface characteristics that are not visible without using special equipment are said to have Clean Surface. Depending on the degree of their blemishes, pearls can be Lightly Spotted, Moderately Spotted and Heavily Spotted. How Matching Impacts Price Of Pearls? Pearl lustre is the intensity and sharpness of the light reflected from a pearl’s surface. In other words, it shows how bright and shiny a pearl is. Pearl lustre is considered the most important quality attribute of all the 7 pearl value factors. Fine quality pearls will always display high lustre with bright and sharp reflections.In the case of saltwater cultured pearls, bead nuclei are used in the pearl cultivation process. Therefore, those with thin nacre usually diminish in value. They often have poor lustre and are not durable. Bodycolour is the overall dominant colour of a pearl. Overtone, the secondary colour, is the translucent colour that lies on top of the bodycolour. It’s usually present over the entire pearl surface or a large part of it. Orient appears when there’s more than one translucent colour or overtone over the bodycolour. It’s visible in a much smaller area on the pearl surface and can come in a form of iridescent rainbow colours. But hold on – notice we use the word “potentially”. That’s right! Not all natural pearls are worth more than cultured pearls. Why? Because the beauty and value of a pearl relies on many other factors, such as size, shape, colour, lustre and nacre quality. In this guide we’re going to show you everything you need to ascertain what your pearls are worth. The Basic Rule To Buying Pearls

South Sea Pearls are the most prized cultured pearls in the world. They’re farmed in the largest pearl oyster Pinctada maxima in Australia, Burma, Indonesia and the Philippines. For round pearls, the size is determined by measuring the diameter of a drilled pearl perpendicular to the drill hole. For pearls of any other shapes, the size is made up of measurements for lengths, widths or depths. Pearl sizes are usually expressed in millimetres and rounded to the nearest 0.5mm. How Pearl Lustre And Nacre Quality Affect The Value Of Pearls? Natural pearl colour is an important factor that affects the value of a pearl. It has three components: bodycolour, overtone, and orient.Now you can see why natural pearls are potentially more valuable than cultured pearls. This is because the occurrence of natural pearls is much rarer than cultured pearls. Almost all real pearls you see today are cultured. Akoya Pearls are the classic, round white pearls that most people are familiar with. They’re mainly cultivated in Japan and China in a saltwater oyster species called Pinctada fucata martensii. Natural Akoya pearls grown in this species are extremely rare.

While those impressive million-dollar pearls may be out of reach, finding the sweet spots of value is actually not that difficult. When buying a piece of pearl jewellery, try using the information discussed in this guide. Remember to balance the rarity of the gems with your preferred styles and desirability. Make sure you buy from reputable or established stores and dealers who are specialised in pearls and pearl grading. If you’re in the market to get a valuation for how much your pearls are worth, always get a few quotes from expert appraisers. As an organic gem, nearly all cultured and natural pearls have some degree of imperfections such as bumps, pits, scratches, spots, and wrinkles on their surface. Blemish-free pearls are extremely rare. So the fewer and less visible blemishes a pearl has, the higher its value when all the other value factors are equal. If you’re an avid follower of luxury fashion and jewellery, you probably have noticed some of the spectacular record-breaking prices set by natural pearls in recent auctions. It’s worth noting that different pearl type has its own unique characteristics and benchmarks. Therefore, you cannot simply take each value factor and use it to assess two different types of pearls. Freshwater Pearls are the most widely available pearls seen in jewellery today. Hence, they’re the most affordable types of pearls in the market. Freshwater pearls are commonly grown inside the Hyriopsis cumingii mollusc in rivers, lakes and ponds in China, and their production has also started to grow in Southeast Asia in recent years.

Pearl Types

Try to look for the presence of overtone or orient the next time you look for fine quality pearls. And be very careful with those that are artificially coloured to mimic some of the high value colours mentioned above. Pearls with dye treatments are worth less than those with natural colours. What Is The Most Valuable Pearl Shape? Generally speaking, saltwater pearls cost more than freshwater pearls. This is because saltwater pearl-bearing oysters can only grow 1 pearl (or 2 at the most in the case of Akoya) while freshwater pearl oysters can yield up to 50 pearls in one growth cycle. The most valuable natural pearls that have achieved phenomenal prices, apart from their historical significance, all possess extraordinary qualities that make them beautiful. Most of the time, you’ll only find them in museums or high-end auctions. To begin the process, a skilled technician takes mantle tissue from a sacrificed mollusk of the same species and inserts a shell bead along with a small piece of mantle tissue into a host mollusk’s gonad, or several pieces of mantle tissue without beads into a host mollusk’s mantle. If a bead is used, the mantle tissue grows and forms a sac around it and secretes nacre inward and onto the bead to eventually form a cultured pearl. If no bead is used, nacre forms around the individual implanted mantle tissue pieces. Workers tend the mollusks until the cultured pearls are harvested. Pearl Types Depending on the waters they’re grown in, pearls can be divided into freshwater pearls and saltwater pearls (which are grown in sea water). There’re generally 3 types of saltwater pearls: Akoya, South Sea and Tahitian. Each pearl type, including freshwater, grows in a specific pearl-bearing oyster species in a unique habitat that is indigenous to certain regions of the world.