[Pearl_dreams]

Are they measured perpendicular to the drill hole, or the long way? Do different vendors measure them different ways?

[Pearl_dreams]

Giving this thread a *bump*, hoping someone will come along who knows the answer....

[jshepherd]

Are they measured perpendicular to the drill hole, or the long way?

They are always measured perpendicular to the drill hole.

Do different vendors measure them different ways?

A vendor may tell you the length as well but this should vary and is not considered part of the actual size.

[Pearl_dreams]

Thanks for the reply, Jeremy.

I had always assumed they were measured the long way but something I read yesterday made me wonder if I had it backwards! Certainly a significant difference and good to know.

[JWei]

The standard method used by pearl providers is as follows:
One uses a sieve to sort the pearls. If one has some kilograms of pearls with the size from 7 to 10 mm. He uses a sieve with holes of a diameter of 7.5 mm at first. All pearls which are smaller than 7.5 pass the net. So he gets the pearls from 7-7.5 mm. Then he uses a sieve with holes of diameter of 8 mm...
The same method is used for other form pearls including oval and barock forms. The size is then used to decide the basic price. The length has no effect on the basic price, but it increases the weight. This is standard method to measure the size in market. Only for the loose large pearls, one will measure the length too.

[Pearl_dreams]

That was enlightening-- thank you!