Pear Grading

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Aurora HANADAMA

Aurora TEN-NYO

GRANPEARL/SUPEARL

INFORMATION

Low Quality Japanese Akoya representing the bottom 50% of pearl harvest (Not Sold at Annie Case)

Medium-Grade Japanese Akoya representing top 60% of Harvest. Commonly found at jewelry stores and Major Department Stores (Not Sold at Annie Case)

High-Grade Japanese Akoya representing the top 5-10% of a pearl harvest. Found in Finer Jewelry Stores.

Gem quality Japanese Akoya representing the top 1-5% of a pearl harvest. PS. This is the same quality level equivalent to HANADAMA , only without the PSL certificate as the HANADAMA designation is only given to strand pearls not the single ones.Found in brand name/high Jewelry Stores.

Gem quality Japanese Akoya representing the top 1-5% of a pearl harvest。Special designation for pearls that have passed series rigorous test of Pearl Science Laboratory of Japan and must be accompanied by a numbered certificate by  Pearl Science Laboratory of Japan. Same for designation MADAMA for silver blue natural color HANADAMA pearl .Found in brand name/high Jewelry Stores.

Top gem quality Japanese Akoya  representing top 1% of a pearl/HANADAMA harvest. Special designation for pearls that have passed series rigorous test of Pearl Science Laboratory of Japan and must be accompanied by a numbered certificate by  Pearl Science Laboratory of Japan.Found in brand name/high Jewelry Stores.

Rarest quality pearl possible. Collector’s choice . Single digits of these certificates per harvest are given by Japan Pearl Export And Processing Cooperative Association.Rarely found in the market.

SURFACE

Heavy blemishing with only a 50% or less clean surface.

Minor to medium blemishing with a 70-80% clean surface.

Minor blemishing with at least 90% of the pearl surface clean.

Clean surface .With very minor to no blemishing with at least 95% of the pearl surface clean.

Clean surface .With very minor to no blemishing with at least 95% of the pearl surface clean.

Virtually flawless. 99% or cleaner pearl surface with either very minor to no blemishes visible.

100% flawless

LUSTER

Poor

Medium

High

Excellent/Mirror-like reflection

Excellent/Mirror-like reflection

Superior/Mirror-like reflection/With interference color under Aurora viewer

Superior/Mirror-like reflection

NACRE

Thin

Medium

Thick

Very Thick

Very Thick > 0.4mm

Very Thick > 0.4mm

Very Thick > 0.4mm

SHAPE

xRound

Medium

Perfectly Round/Round

Perfectly Round

Perfectly Round

Perfectly Round

Perfectly Round