[Caitlin]

I am putting groups (and individuals) who want to standardize pearl nomenclature on my list of pearl topics to watch:

http://www.nationaljeweler.com/natio..._id=1000946288

CIBJO pearl leader urges standards

JUNE 16, 2005 - -- Milan, Italy—Martin Coeroli, president of the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO)'s pearl commission, has urged the trade to join discussions on industry standards for pearl nomenclature.

"I hope to be able to bring more market players into the discussion on nomenclature, especially because I am convinced that a single set of nomenclature rules will be beneficial to the industry, as they will enhance and strengthen consumer confidence in pearls at large," said Coeroli, who is also managing director of non-profit Perles de Tahiti, which promotes Tahitian cultured pearls worldwide.

Coeroli's plan got support from Elfriede Schwarzer, his predecessor as pearl commission president. Schwarzer said that while CIBJO has succeeded in the fight against imitation pearls being called "pearls," the nomenclature issue remains far from resolved.

—Glenn Law

[PearlsAndJade.com]

This is long overdue, and I hope a universal system can be developed soon.

I have developed a grading system with explanations, whereby I grade each factor individually; shape, luster, surface quality and matching. Then, to be fairly consistant with other dealers, I average the grades and give an overall grade.

In using my system in conjuction with our high quality photos, a person can know almost exactly what the pearls will look like.

We jslso designed a pearl grading board using this grading system. One of my suppliers in China built it for me and it was ready when I was there last week. Soon I'll photograph it and have it on my web site.

If anyone is interested, you can see our grading system here:

http://pearlsandjade.zoovy.com/c=tsU...rgradingsystem

Our system is for freshwater pearls. We typically use AAA+ as the highest grade. That leaves us some room so when we find an extraordinarily high quality pearl we can go to AAAA.

We may have found that on this China trip. I brought back a kilo of 11-12mm undrilled and they are almost perfect. I'll be looking at them more closely as I design some strands and earrings prior to having them drilled. Soon I'll photograph them and put them on my web site.

We stopped in California on our way home, and showed the pearls to one of my regular customers there, and she immediately asked me to make her a strand with earrings.

As James Peach, a noted pearl expert, told me, "China has the worst of pearls, and the best of pearls". I belive I have found the best of freshwater pearls with this batch.

Bill

[Caitlin]

Your system makes a lot of sense - and it can be used in a number of ways. It is an excellent guide, especially for choosing less than perfect pearls too!

One can choose the factors that are important to them. For instance most of the purveyors on this site are featuring very good to almost best quality in all factors. Codifying the factors gives the possibility of a very complex system for all pearls, which are always better in some factors than others.

Now the rest of this article is an essay on why perfect on all factors is not my first choice.

I have a different preference than those who love the perfect pearls, and I would use this chart differently. Of course I prefer the best luster, but I like the slightly off round shapes best. If the luster is great, I don't mind visible imperfections in the skins, either.

WHY? Because I have grown up with the natural Bahraini pearls. I am always looking to find pearls that look something like natural Bahraini pearls. Now I know the Persian pearl beds must have had some AAAA+ plus perfect rounds over the thousands of years the pearl beds were in operation, but such perfect pearls would never be sold to non-royal buyers such as my grandparents, (who lived on Bahrain from the 30’s to the 60’s and bought pearls for their children and grandchildren. See the pearl history thread for that story, which was my first post here. )

The Bahraini pearls in my family were too symmetrical to be called baroque, they were slightly off round and some might have a tiny bump (which would always be more iridescent). They are drilled through the imperfections to show the best side. Also they are smallish. I had a graduated necklace with pearls from size 7 in the center to 2-3mm on the ends. My mom had a choker that was all about size 6mm and earrings which were large, long, baroque about 14mm. I still have a few inches of these pearls (Most have gone into other necklaces) and a ring made from one of the earrings.

My eye just jumps when I see pearls that are extremely lustrous but aren’t perfectly round. They look more natural to me than the perfect ones, (which look manufactured to me!!) IMHO when the Chinese fw pearls have AAA luster, they are the equal to any sea pearl ……..and they are not just expensive beads with a layer of nacre, they are solid pearl!

I fear the trend will be for the Chinese to make nucleated pearls as the sea pearls people do. A lady from a Chinese pearl farm factory told me her farms are working on it. The odd shaped fw pearls- like coins and squares, all have nuclei and someday so will the rounds.

Mark my words: I feel like this is a great time for investing in solid nacre FW pearls. The Chinese have perfected the art of growing them and they are even getting some off rounds larger than 14+mm, in solid nacre! When the Chinese perfect bead nucleated round pearls, they will make far more money in far less time (it takes years to grow big pearls) and that will be the end of solid nacre pearls unless some gourmet growers come into operation!