[Elizabeth]

Hi,
I posted this question last night, but can't find where I posted it. I wanted to
know if AA+ Akoya pearls should have bumps, dimples and lines on them?

Sincerely,
Elizabeth

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Elizabeth,

You may want to check the many threads on this forum that discuss grading standards or the lack thereof. However, akoyas should not have lines and rarely do because it takes a minimum nacre thickness to develop circlé that akoyas lack. So, while having a circléd pearl means that it has decent or better nacre thickness it also means it is not an akoya. The last akoyas with nacre thick enogh to develop circlé were harvested in the early 1930s.

Zeide

[Pearls_by_Angela_Carol]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth

Hi,
I posted this question last night, but can't find where I posted it. I wanted to
know if AA+ Akoya pearls should have bumps, dimples and lines on them?

Sincerely,
Elizabeth

By lines do you mean cracks? Also, how much of the surface of the pearls would you estimate has small dimples? Is it one or two per pearls or are those bumps and demples covering the entire pearl?

[Elizabeth]

On a pearl strand:
Mostly, one ragged bump on some pearls. One or two small dimples on others
and a zig-zag type of bumpy line on another.

[PearlReef]

Small visible inclusions are somewhat standard on pearls that most grade as AA+. The luster is the most important factor (by far) when grading Akoya pearls. I have seen some that appear perfectly clean with a medium-lower luster that are graded as only A+. In Japan, a strand can actually be graded 'hanadama' and have some marks on the pearls like small dimples, spots or waves. The grading is given to the luster first. This is why there is no classification of 'clean' for Akoya pearls given by the Pearl Science Lab of Japan. The highest possible grade is 'lightly blemished'.
You will find more of the perfect surface (although inclusions are usually much deeper because of the nacre depth) on high-end freshwater and South Sea. When you buy Akoya you are buying the luster!

[Zeide Erskine]

Unfortunately consumers have for too long been putting too much emphasis on surface perfection which is why we have such dreadful quality in terms of nacre thickness in akoyas. Surface perfection is virtually unnoticable and can be had much cheaper in fakes. Pearls need luster and orient, a few marks of mother nature are perfectly in order. On the other hand, give the critial consumer their thin-skinned flawless dullards, that leaves so much more marked beauties for collectors.

Zeide

[Kenji]

I can also say that the luster is much more important for Japanese because this is the ones that you see when you wear the necklace. If someones wearing the necklaces then you cannot see the imperfections in the surface coating. But if the lusters not good you can see this one very well. I can sell a very good luster quality strand much more easy than a clean strand of lessor luster - always. This is one of the reasons that the culture Akoya is still popular with the buyers is because the luster is usually better than freshwater and the more stronger than south sea pearls.

[Elizabeth]

Thanks everyone. Your answers are very helpful.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth

[pearltime]

Personally luster is the most important value to me. Size?? A string of pearls over 9 to 10 mm looks gauche to me,even when they are South Sea. That's probably not the opinion of most.

[The Pearl Outlet]

Elizabeth,

It depends on how pronounced the inclusions are and how many of the pearls have inclusions. Also, if you're looking under magnification, you will always find flaws in real Akoya pearls.

Note that quality standards will deviate from one company to another. You will find that some companies will have higher standards for their AA+ quality than others.