FRESHWATER CULTURED PEARL GRADING GUIDE

Cultivated elegance in freshwater pearls can be understood by navigating the complex world of pearl grading.

Since there's no universal standard, different sellers and traders use their own grading systems.

Here's a breakdown of the common grading scales used for freshwater pearls:

	A Grade:	Extremely well shaped, white, high luster, very minor surface blemishes.
	B Grade:	Well shaped, white to light cream, high luster, minor surface blemishes.
	C Grade:	Irregular shape, off-white, medium luster (may be non-uniform), surface is irregular.
	D Grade:	Same as C grade, but one or more of the characteristics are excessively bad (such as areas of no luster or wrinkled surfaces).
	F Grade:	For promotional purposes only. Not suitable for jewelry. Most of this grade is ground up into pearl powder (used in cosmetics).

Some pearls fall between grades and are given mixed grades (A-B grade).

Also, a pearl with A grade luster and C grade surface may be given a compromise B grade, though this type of pearl is avoided by Beaded Creations where possible.