Wanna know a secret?
Pearl grading standards are a MESS. Seriously â standards are all over the place, they vary from seller to seller, farmer to farmer and auction to auction. Walking an industry show and talking to pearl farmers entails learning as many as 30 new grading scales in day in order to navigate the pearls on offer.
What I take with me when I go is my special grading hank that features pearls with all my grading benchmarks so I can compare pearls to make sense of it all while Iâm there.
Now, obviously you donât have that option.
BUT, what I can do is create simple breakdown of each gradeâs specific standards using the A-AAA and A-AAAA Grading Scales so you know exactly what to look for when purchasing a pearl necklace or earrings, bracelet, pendant, etc.
Follow the links below to jump straight to the specific pearl grading guide youâre looking for, or read on a bit more for an overview of the popular Grading Scales in use today, and how they relate to your pearls.