Pearl. Price estimation.
Pearl. Price estimation. |
|
|
|
Pearl: Price estimationFirst, a reminder. Natural (wild, non-cultivated) pearls are so rare that, regardless the fact that we can do price estimation based on its physical parameters (weight, color, luster, shape and smoothness of the surface), the final price estimation of each gem should be done by an expert. For example each CONCH pearl is unique, it has a sertificate, passport. Unless, of course, you have found it yourself in your breakfast, or buying over the counter at the flea market. In any case, I'd suggest that you only buy certified pearl. Otherwise, as in example with conch, you may be sold a pink sphere, curved from a shell. It will be similar to pearl by look and even by composition, but not by the quality or price. There are few systems allowing you to estimate quality and therefore price of the pearl, all of them are based on the following parameters. Weight Most often, the size of a pearl is measured using it diameter, in millimeters. However, weight is used, too, especially for pearl that has large size. Weight is measured in carats, grains or mommes. Usually, the weight of the cultured pearl is measured in mommes, while the weight of wild pearl - in grains. All three units of measure can be easily converted into each other, as well as in grams: 1 carat = 4 grains = 200 mg = 1/5 g
If you are buying a large amount of pearl, in China, its weight is measured in kilograms, in Japan - in momms. Example. The largest pearl in the world was originally called "Pearl of Allah", now it is "Pearl of Lao-tze". It was found at Phillipines, near the Palawan Island. Its diameter is 238 mm, and its weight is 6.4 kg! As it is a natural pearl, its weight is measured in carats, 1280 carats. To compare: the size of a large akoya pearl is about 7.5 mm, its weight is about 3 carats. The price of the Pearl of Lao-tze is about 40 million dollars. The size The size of a pearl is the same (usually, it also depends on the shape) as its diameter. It can be between 1 and 20 mm. The size depends on the type of a pearl. For example, the largest Tahitian pearl was 25 mm in diameter. Most of the pearl sold is 7 - 7.5 mm. Akoyan pearl more than 8 mm in size is extremely rare. The average size of akoya is usually 5-7 mm, 8 mm is considered unusually large. The largest akoyan pearl is 10 mm, and if it is larger, then it is not akoyan. It is either large freshwater pearl, or Tahitian, or it is from South Sea. Of course, the larger the pearl, the higher its price, provided all other parameters are equal. It has a simple explaination: not only the large pearl requires larger, which means - older, mussel, but it also takes much longer to grow. It usually takes about 2 years to grow a medium size pearl, and twice that long for the large one. Additionally, it is extremely hard to make the mussel to create a perfect shape pearl, and the larger the pearl, the more rare it happens. OK, that was about a single pearl. What about the size of pearl in a group, say, in the necklace? If you are buying the akoya pearl necklace, keep in mind that the declared size of pearls used is not an exact size. According to the international standarts, for the saltwater pearl the difference can be as large as 5 mm, therefore, for example, in the akoya pearl necklace with the declared size 7.5 mm, it can be between 7.0 and 7.5 mm. It should be mentioned in a certificate, by the way. Note, that the central pearls are usually larger, and the closer they are to the lock (of a necklace), the smaller. This is a standart rule. For the freshwater pearl, an allowed difference is up to 1 mm, but this is not an absolute rule, just keep it in mind. The Tahitian and South Sea pearls are usually measured individually, but if they are used to make a necklace, the "1 mm" rules is still applicable. If the size of pearls is gradually changind fron the center of a necklace to its lock, for example, from 10 to 8 mm, then this necklace is called "slightly graduated". The shape For most people, the shape of a pearl is usually associated with the sphere. However this is not the only option. The pearl forms in the body of the living creature, and many factors, like quality of water, nutritions, climate, affect it. Additionally, the "core" may have non-spheric size, which maters, too. As the result, the shape of the pearl is always unique and interesting. Lets also mention, that if the pearl is formed inside the mussel's body, it will be... well... the pearl, while if it is formed between the body and the shell, it will be more like a bump on the shell inner side. The shape of the cultivated pearl is more predictable, as it corresponds, more or less, to the shape of the core that people use as an irritant. When describing the shape of a pearl, experts use three main categories. a) Spherical. The pearl is shaped as, or almost as a sphere. This is the "classical" shape, most popular and expensive. b) Symmetrical. If you cut this pearl in half, both halves will look like the mirror reflection of each other. c) Baroque (this word means "unusual", "artifficially unusual"). This type is used to describe all other shapes of the pearl. The other system uses seven sub-categories. 1) Round. Absolutely spherical, ideal form, this is what most people think of, when they talk about pearl. As it is rare and the most beautifull, it is the most expensive. 2) Semi-round. An imperfect sphere. The pearl is a bit sqeezed or stretched, however the deformation is barely noticeable. This pearl looks nice and can e classified as spherical (if we use the previous classification). 3) Oval. The pearl is oval in shape, it can also be classified as symmetrical. 4) Button. The pearl looks like a drop of water on a surface, spherical on one side, flat on the other. It is often used to make earrings. 5) Drop. One side is spherical, another one is shaped as a cone. The cone can be "long" or "short", depending on proportions of a pearl. This pearl makes earrings, too, and can be classified as symmetrical. 6) Semi-baroque. A little bit imperfect shape. It could be an oval, button or drop, but not quite, due to the imperfection. It can also be classified as a baroque. 7) Baroque. A "strange" shape. Anything, including shapes of a man, tree, curved stick or nothing whatsoever. Imperfect pearls that remind something (frog, horse...) are called "paragons" and used to create unique jewelry. The shape of pearl is one of the most important criteria determining its price. Generally speaking, spherical or almost spherical pearl is the most expensive, as it is rare. Symmetric shapes are usually more popular than baroque. However, as have already been mentioned, baroque pearls can be unique in shape and very beautiful,which makes them valuable, too. As the mater of fact, it can increase their price more than you can imagine. Another important criteria is the color of pearl. The fact that the pearl is created by a living creature affects color - there are countless variations. There are few factors contributing into the color of pearl. 1) The main color, which is the color of the pearl itself, its body. It is usually white, gray (silver), yellow (gold), brownish, green, blue, pink or black. Usually the main color is the same as the color of a mussel that created it, but it can also be affected by the outside conditions, and to some extent by the composition of the pearl's core. 2) The tone, shade. It is a transparent color, that can be seen when the lite hits the surface of a pearl. It creates a specific luster inside the pearl. It is usually pink, silver or blue. Some pearls have no shade at all, some have few shades, when you turn it, the color changes. This effect is created by differences in the inner layers of the mother of pearl. It should be mentioned, that novadays you will see a lot of artificially colored cultivated pearl. Mostly it applies to the freshwater Chinese pearl, but also to Akoya, and sometimes to Tahitian. The pearl is colored when it is growing, by adding dye into water, or by affecting the mussel with radiation. It takes an expert with the special equipment to tell if the color is natural or artifficially made. If the pearl has a hole (like in case of the necklace), you may take a look inside. If the color gradually changes from the surface to the center of pearl, then it probably is artifficial. If the core is darker, of aragonite crystals are darker in part of the pearl, it can be an indication of rediation used. It is important to remember, that most of the pearl on market today is colored, Chinese produce cultivated pearl of various colors that you will never see in nature. For example, the only pearl that produce natural colored black pearl is Tahitian Black Lip Oyster (Pinctada margaritifera), all the other black pearl has been colored artifficially, no mater if it was akoya or freshwater pearl. So if you want to have natural black pearl, make sure it is Tahitian. An unexperienced buyer purchasing pearl of bronze, violet or some other exotic color has no idea that it is artifficially colored. Later, wheen he learns the truth, he gets disappointed. Why has't the seller warned his customer? Because he was not asked! Therefore, if you want to be sure your pearl is naturally colored, especially if we are talking about an expensive piece of jewelry, you should always ask. In most important cases, consult an expert. Luster The luster is one of the most important parameters influencing the price, it is based on two things: brightness, related to an ability to reflect the color, and inner shiness, that is created by the reflection of light from the inner layers of aragonyte, that makes the pearl shine unlike any other gem, and determines its value in jewelry industry. Experts estimate the luster as low luster, medium luster or high luster. The brighter the pearl, the sharper is the reflection in the pearl's surface. The pearl with the low luster looks flat and is not as attactive. Usually, saltwater pearl has highter luster. Of course, the highter luster, the highter the price, but there are exceptions. First of all, the keshi pearls. As they are 100% made of mother of pearl, they have a perfect luster, but their price is lower than the price of cultivated freshwater pearl. Another exception - a thin layer of mother of pearl does not guarantee a high luster. For example, to some extent, genes of a mussel may contribute. The thickness of the layer of mother of pearl This works as in a sandwich - the thicker, the better. The thicker the layer of the mother of pearl, the longer the pearl will live. The thickness, as well as the size of a pearl, depends on the type of a pearl. Different mussels work at different speed, for example, akoya creates few mkm per year, while freshwater oyusters or the oysters from the South Sea - few mm per year. Yet, the luster and longevity of the akoya pearl is mush highter than for the freshwater pearl. How comes? The akoya is growing in a cold water, and the mother of pearl it creates has more dense structure. The surface of such a pearl is much more "responsive" to the light, and regardless the fact that the layer of Akoyan pearl is usually thinner than of the freshwater or other sorts of saltwater pearl, its luster is exellent. Smoothness A very important parameter, as it affects the luster, and the highter the luster, the highter the quaity. Ideally, the pearl should be absolutely smooth, clean (equally colored), without spots and with high luster. Unfortunately, pearls like that do not exist. At close examination, you will find few bumps, spots etc. Some of these little defects can be hidden in a jewelry, that will create a signifficant price increase. How can we determine which defects are important and which are not? Very simple. Serous defects can (in future) ead to the deformation of a pearl. We are talking about scratches, deep "canyons" on the surface and so on. They can also provoke the layers of mother of pearl to fall of, or even worse, to destroy the entire pearl. Say, a relatively kind pressire may break the pearl in halves. It will require visiting a seller, looking for a new pearl to replace a broken one. What if we cannot find an adequate replacement? Then we will have to place an order to find it, which can be more expensive then buying a new piece of jevelry with the pearl of highter quality. That's why fractions and deep scratches reduce the price signifficantly, even if the pearl is perfect by all other parameters. The less signifficant defects are small fractions and areas where the pearl is weared off, which makes these areas less shiny, or alters the color. Little spots, bubbles, color differences, all these cannot destroy the pearl, so it is not a big deal. A sidenote. Of course, defects are bad. However, if you are buying the pearl without a certifficate, these defects are an argument saying that you are buying a real pearl, not an imitation. Sets There are no two identical pearls. But sometimes we need them - to create a necklace, for example. People like the symmetry. When we create a piece of jewelry containing few pearls, we need them to match by size, shape, color... The "set" here does not necessarily mean that all pearls should be identical. No. They have to match. For example, usually, the necklace has larger pearls in the central part, and the closer to the lock, the smaller pearls are used. The shape and color should still be the same. OR the color may gradually change, too. In the example above, the most important thing is the feeling. The jewelry must look like something finished, all pieces matching. It is possible to use, for example, three pearls in a ring, two white and one black, but if the shape, size, smoothness and luster match, the ring will look just fine. Same applies to any jewelry - all pearls should match, it creates a more expensive piece. Creating sets is an art, requiring sharp vision, good color perception and of course, training and experience. And a goot taste. Of course, creating sets of natural pearl is much more difficult, than in case of the cultivated one - it takes years. But it pays. A good set may turn something that otherwise would be just a piece of jewelry, into a piece of art. PricingFinally, let's talk about price. Selling pearl, as well as any other goods that exist in large amounts and countless variations, requires a system that allows us to determine the price in a repeatable and predictable way. Only this approach makes it possible to get a fair price and to agree of conditions in the acceptable time period. Unfortunately, pearl producers still do not have the unified pricing system. On the contrary, the system used depends entirely on the selling party. Two systems are used most frequently: the AAA-A system and the A-D system (also called "Tahitian system"). They are used by almost all respectable pearl traders. However, these systems can lead to a frustration. For example, if the seller uses the system to do the estimation of the pearl that cannot be estimated by that system (for example, conch cannot be estimated by these two systems). Or if the seller is using the name that is not part of the system, to make the customer think, that the pearl he is offering is better than the best sort within the system, while in reality, it is not so. Keep in mind, that it is considered a bad tone among the respectable traders to use the AAAA or AAA+ terms. It is very important, when you buy pearl, to be absolutely sure you understand the terminology. If possible, ask the seller to show you list of qualities used to make an estimation. A good jeweleer will most likely agree to do so. This way you will be able to decide, if the price asked is a reasonable one. The AAA-A systemThe most popular system, using sorts from AAA to A, where AAA is the hightest sort. It is usually used to do an estimation of the freshwater pearl, but is also used by some companies producing Tahitian and South Sea pearl. AAA High quality pearl, high luster, pretty much a perfect one. At least 95% of the surface is free of the defects of any kind. AA High or medium luster, or 75% of the surface is defect-free. A The low quality pearl, low luster or more than 25% of the surface has defects. A sidenote. When buying the pearl, keep in mind that in the piece of jevelry, the pearl will most likely be installed in such a way, that the defects are hidden. This is the way of getting a nice piece of jewelry at lower price. But it is also the way of getting a highter price, if the seller is not honest, or if he simply is not aware of defects. Do not hesitate to ask for a magnifying glass and do an inspection yourself. A good, respectable seller will allow you to do it, providing (maybe) a cup of coffee and a discount, if you find a defect. Some sellers use additional, intermediate sorts, to make the scale more flexible. For example, the A+ sort for A pearls that are almost in AA category. Obviously, this system is more subjective, but it is normal in the industry. If you are asked to pay more for AA+, then AA should cost, you may refuse, but you may agree as well, as it says that the sorting have been done with more strict criteria and with more attention. Just keep in mind, that AAA+ does not exist. Also keep in mind, that for the jewelry containing large number of pearls, the sort is usually not specified, or if it is, it applies to the MOST pearls, not to all of them. It is possible, that few pearls have lower sort, due to the fact, that pearls making a perfect set is more important. The A-D (Tahitian) systemThis system is only used for Tahitian and South Sea pearl. It is used by producers of pearl from French Polinesia, and is based on the government standarts. There are A to D types of pearl in Tahitian system, A is the highest quality one. A Highest quality, practically perfect, pearl with high luster. Maximum allowed defects are 10% of the surface. B Medium or high luster. Insignifficant defects, no more than 30% of the surface. C Medium luster, up to 60% of the surface may has defects. D Pearl have large number of insignifficant defects, on more than 60% of the surface. but no serous defects; or serous defects, but on less than 60% of the surface. This sort may have any luster, it will still be assigned D type. The pearl below D grade is considered below the quality that can be used in jewelry. To determine the quality of the pearl, both systems use the luster and the quality of the surface (+color). But other parameters contribute, too. One of the most important parameters is the width of the layer of the mother of pearl, that determines the lifetime of a pearl. The thicker the layer, the stronger it is, the longer the pearl will live. For the Tahitian pearl, the minimum width is set by the government as 0.8 mm. Any pearl with thinner layer is not allowed to be sold. Considering the fact, that the thickness of the layer of Tahitian pearl is usually higher than, for example, of akoyan one, this rule can be used in addition to the color, surface quality and luster. Next: Buying Pearl
|
|
|
|
Terminology and FAQ:
pearl and rhinestone necklace
peacock tahitian pearl
cheap pearl jewelry
pearl engagement ring
7 8mm cultured freshwater pearls
pearl and rhinestone bridal jewelry
wholesale fresh water pearls
pearls for jewelry making
pearl dangle earring
unique pearl necklace
black tahitian pearl earring
pearl ring setting
vintage pearl necklace
pearl pendant jewelry
pearl wedding ring
beaded jewelry pearl
sterling silver necklace pendant
pearl ribbon necklace
antique pearl jewelry
gold and pearl necklace
|
|
