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The Gemological Institute of America assesses seven features in pearls to value them. These are known as the 7 Pearl Value Factors (size, shape, color, luster, nacre quality, surface quality and matching).

 

 

Pearls usually come in a variety of colors including white, cream, pink, yellow, black or even silver. In high-quality pearls, you may find color overtones, which are secondary colors that increase the beauty of pearls and make them high-quality pearls. If you want to know which pearl color will suit you, you may try clothes of the same color. If clothes of the same color look good on you, pearls of that color will also suit you.

 

 

There exists in pearls a strong shine that is known as the pearl’s luster. The luster is produced due to reflection of light off the coatings of calcium carbonate crystals that make up the pearl. These layers combined together are called the pearl’s nacre. Pearls that are larger in size have more nacre and pearls that have more nacre display more luster; hence, if you buy pearl jewelry, you will find that larger pearls cost more. It is the pearl’s nacre that gives it the shine and luster which makes pearl jewelry attractive and eye-catching.
Moreover, when you want to buy pearl jewelry, also remember that thick nacre coatings exhibit intense luster and result in a high-quality pearl. Such high-quality pearls are sold at higher prices; one obvious reason for this higher price is that pearls have to be left for longer periods inside water so that the pearl will get thick nacre coatings. To sum up, nacre and luster are two interrelated qualities of pearls that you must consider when you buy pearl jewelry.

 

 

A pearl with a non-symmetrical shape cannot be considered a high-quality pearl and freshwater cultured pearls can have such shapes. However, Akoya cultured pearls, Tahitian cultured pearls and South Sea cultured pearls are usually round and symmetrical in shape.

A good indication of a high-quality pearl’s perfect roundness is that it rolls in a straight line. Semi-baroque is a terminology that describes pearls that are neither round nor off-round, whereas baroque refers to an irregular shape.

 

 

The smoothness of a pearl’s surface depends on the way the nacre layers hold on to each other and the value of the pearl also relies upon this factor. High-quality pearls will always have a very smooth surface and such high-quality pearls are expensive. The surface of the pearl also speaks for the life of the pearl as scratches or damages can lessen its longevity.

 

 

The larger the pearl is, the higher its value will be. This is because the size increases as the pearl remains in the mollusk for a longer period, resulting in more investment expenses. The pearl size varies with respect to the type of pearl that you consider. Freshwater cultured pearls can have a size of 3-7 mm, Akoya cultured pearls can have a size of 6-8.5 mm, and South Sea cultured pearls and Tahitian cultured pearls are the largest in size going up to 13 mm.

 

 

When you buy pearl jewelry, most probably, the pearl jewelry will have a number of pearls that may vary in their features. If the pearls used in a pearl jewelry match with each other, it will give a beautiful and charming look and will also make it high-quality pearl jewelry. Pearl matching is the term that is used to define the quality of this combination. The Gemological Institute of America also assesses the pearl matching while it evaluates the worth of pearl jewelry.

If you go to buy pearl jewelry, make sure that the color, luster, nacre thickness, surface quality and even the size and shape of each pearl matches with the other pearls in the complete pearl jewelry set.