Pearl Grading
Akoya
Freshwater
Tahitian South Sea
White & Golden South Sea
Freshwater
Freshwater pearls range in size from as small as 5mm to as large as 13mm. Pearls below 7mm in size are considered to be on the smaller side, while 7-8mm and 8-9mm are among the more popular sizes selected for necklaces in Freshwater pearls. Anything sized from 9-10mm and above is considered to be above average in size, and such pearls are more rare and valuable. Please download and print our pearl sizing guide below for more information
| A | AA | AAA | AAAA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INFORMATION | Low Quality Freshwater representing the bottom 60% of pearl harvest. (Not Sold at The Pearl Source) | Medium-Grade Freshwater representing top 20% of harvest. Found in most Jewelry Stores and major department stores (Not Sold at The Pearl Source) | High-Grade Freshwater representing the top 10% of a pearl harvest. Found in Finer Jewelry Stores. | Very High-Grade Freshwater representing the top 1-2% of a pearl harvest. |
| SURFACE | Heavy blemishing with only a 50% or less clean surface. | Minor to medium blemishing with a 70-80% clean surface. | Minor blemishing with at least 90% of the pearl surface clean. | Very minor to no blemishing with at least 95% of the pearl surface clean. |
| LUSTER | Poor | Medium | High | Very High |
| SHAPE | Off Round | Off Round | Near Round to Round | Round |
