[BluePawprint]

Gorgeous pics- somehow the black white especially.

[Caitlin]

Roundness is rarer than luster in freshwater pearls. The statement would be more correct as "...USUALLY akoyas are more round and lustrous, but sometimes freshwaters (gem quality) are as round and have the same sharp luster.

I think this statement is really a good summation.

Most others on the upscale side don't use commerical grade pearls, which are usually the most off round. In fact I hardly see ever round pearls in the commercial booths and webpages. So less than A round goes into the commercial pile without regard to luster factors.

That means one can often get button shaped off round commercial grade FWCP -pearls with sharp luster- especially in the 5-6mm range, which most upscale online pearl sellers do not use much either.

One more thing. The commercial sellers have been steadily increasing their FWCP stock with great luster. In the past 2 years I have seen many fewer CFWP of flat, bland luster. You have to go to W*lmart and Targ*t, to see those.