Pearl Quality Self-Check
On this page
Looking closely at a pearl tells you a good deal about its quality. Answer the questions below about what you see, and the notes narrow to what GIA says about each answer. The self-check isn’t a grade: GIA’s gemologists classify pearls under controlled lighting, against master sets of pearls.1
Check your pearl#
The notes below come from GIA’s descriptions of pearl quality.
Answer any of the questions to see the notes that apply.
Luster
- Of the seven pearl value factors, GIA says luster might be the most important, and within a type, when the other factors are equal, the higher the luster, the more valuable the pearl. 2
- Bright, sharp reflections match GIA's top luster grade, Excellent. 2
- Bright reflections that are nearly sharp match GIA's grade Very Good. 2
- Bright reflections that aren't sharp, and are slightly hazy around the edges, match GIA's grade Good. 2
- Weak, blurred reflections match GIA's grade Fair. 2
- Dim, diffused reflections match GIA's lowest grade, Poor. 2
Surface
- GIA notes that most pearls never achieve perfection. Blemishes include abrasions that look like scratches, a flattened section that leaves the shape intact, and a ridge like a crease or wrinkle. 2
- Blemishes matter less to beauty and value when they are few, or minor enough to be hidden by a drill hole or mounting. 2
- Numerous or severe blemishes can affect the durability of a pearl and severely depress its value. 2
Nacre
Shape
- GIA lists eight basic shapes, round, semi-round, button, drop, pear, oval, baroque and circled, and says perfectly spherical pearls and symmetrical drops are valued most. 3
- GIA calls round the most difficult shape to culture, which makes it the rarest cultured pearl shape and, all else being equal, generally the most valuable. 2
- Well-formed pear, oval and baroque cultured pearls are prized too. 2
Matching
Color and size
- Bodycolor is a pearl's dominant overall color, overtone is one or more translucent colors lying over it, and orient is a shimmer of iridescent rainbow colors on or just below the surface. All pearls have bodycolor, but only some show overtone, orient or both. 2
- When the other factors are equal, larger pearls are rarer and more valuable than smaller pearls of the same type. A pearl is measured across, in millimeters. 2 4
For a professional opinion
- GIA's gemologists judge color, luster, surface and matching under controlled lighting, against sets of master pearls. 1
- A GIA report states whether pearls are natural or cultured, the water they grew in, the mollusk when it can be determined and any detectable treatments, and grades them on GIA's seven value factors. 5
How to look#
Look at the pearl in good light, and at the reflection of a light in its surface: GIA’s luster grades describe how bright and how sharp that reflection is.2 For size, measure the pearl across in millimeters,4 and the pearl size visualizer shows how that size compares with each type’s typical range.
Grades from sellers#
Letter grades such as AAA aren’t a standard: GIA’s journal describes the trade’s grading systems as competing, often company-specific methods.6 The page AAA pearl grades explains how to read one, and the quality section covers each value factor in depth.
References#
- Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Analysis & Grading. How GIA Identifies and Classifies Pearls. Source · Archived copy (accessed 2026-10-25)
- Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Gem Encyclopedia. Pearl Quality Factors. Source · Archived copy (accessed 2026-10-25)
- Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Gem Encyclopedia. Pearl Buyer's Guide. Source · Archived copy (accessed 2026-10-25)
- CIBJO, The World Jewellery Confederation, Pearl Commission (2026). The CIBJO Pearl Book (Pearl Blue Book) 2026. Source · Archived copy (accessed 2026-10-25)
- Phoebe Shang (2026). Freshwater Akoyas – A Trending Misnomer for Certain Freshwater Pearls. Source · Archived copy (accessed 2026-10-25)
- Joyce Wing Yan Ho and Sally Chan Shih (2021). Pearl Classification: The GIA 7 Pearl Value Factors. Source · Archived copy (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Written by
- Learn About Pearls editors
- Fact-checked
- Learn About Pearls editors,
- Reviewed by
- Simon,
- First published
- Publisher
- Unique Pearl, a pearl jeweler
Revision history
- : First published. First published
How to cite this page
- APA
- Learn About Pearls editors. (2026). Pearl Quality Self-Check. Learn About Pearls. https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/pearl-quality-self-check/
- MLA
- “Pearl Quality Self-Check.” Learn About Pearls, Unique Pearl, November 4, 2026, learnaboutpearls.com/tools/pearl-quality-self-check/.
- Chicago
- Learn About Pearls editors. “Pearl Quality Self-Check.” Learn About Pearls. Unique Pearl. Last modified November 4, 2026. https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/pearl-quality-self-check/.
- BibTeX
@misc{lap-tools-pearl-quality-self-check, title = {Pearl Quality Self-Check}, author = {{Learn About Pearls editors}}, year = {2026}, howpublished = {\url{https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/pearl-quality-self-check/}}, note = {Learn About Pearls, published by Unique Pearl}}
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