imperfection on Baroque Tahitians.

[mousey]

I had a thread going a while ago about buying a Tahitian bracelet for my brother (as a gift for his wife). I bought a Baroque bracelet (tried uploading pic, did nt work but will try again later if necessary). I REALLY like it, BUT....
There are some marks on some of the pearls- some are pin prick sized marks, other are bit bigger. To my eye they are very noticeable. The bracelet is supposed to be AA+ quality. Are these marks normal for AA+ Baroques? I have some Tahitian studs that are AAA and they are perfect, but they are not baroques. I got the bracelet for a good price, and if it was me these marks wouldn''t bother me much, but because its a special gift for my Brother''s wife (she gave birth to their first child this year and he wants to mark their first xmas together), I want it to be as good as possible.
My question is- is it normal for baroques to have marks like this?
Thanks you all.

 

[pearlie]

Hi Mousey

very thoughtful of you to shop pearls for your brother.

There is no universally accepted standard for grading pearls, as there is for grading diamonds. So all this assigning a letter grade to pearls means something different to some and nothing to others.

All pearl shapes can display various surface characteristics. Any shape can be as smooth as a mirror, or look like the dog chewed on them. There is so much that can go wrong during pearl development to cause surface imperfections. That is why the cleaner the pearl, the more valuable. There''s a reason you got the bracelet for such a good price, and that reason is displayed on the surface of your pearls.

To answer your question, yes it is normal for baroque pearls to have numerous pits and dimples. It is also correct to say that yes, baroque pearls can be clean and smooth with hardly any surface marks.

So forget about the letter grade, and look for a level of quality that is acceptable to you.

 

[mousey]

Thanks Pearlie! Very helpful. I think the ''pits and dimples'' are acceptable. He was looking a color treated freshwater bracelet that was double the price, so I think it is still a good deal. And the color on them is beautiful (w pinkish green overtones). So, yes, I reckon they are a good deal.
I really like Pearloutlet- this is my second time dealing with them, and they seem like an excellent company, with really nice sales assistants!

 

[Nacre]

I agree with you Pearlie,

It is very difficult to give advice on a pearl which has been graded blabla-triple-plus-whatever.

The ONLY term pearl experts/buyers use on an international level I have ever heard is ''gem quality'', which is rare. Retailers make up terms to use as a selling point by branding the quality of the pearl...I suppose this makes it easier from a retail perspective.

These terms however, do not add value to the pearls... A valuer would not necessarily regard a pearl with the label "triple-plus" at a higher value because these terms are not universally recognised or taught by Gemmological Associations as the grading systems for Diamonds are.

Maybe this forum may benefit from moderation of acceptable terms from a Gemmological perspective as well as being a commercial platform.

Having said that... Baroques will usually have pit marks on the surface of the pearl...especially Tahitians. They will have colour variations and rings. The important thing is to look for an overall colour you like and a fantastic lustre or orient.

Earrings are usually made from pearls with marks.. just with the finding set over the imperfections! Again, that is why I would never grade a pearl as "triple plus" because it may not have looked as perfect unset...chicken and egg theory... but you can''t cert a set diamond...

A bracelet made from gem quality, peacock baroques over 12mm would probably take over a year to put together... and would priced appropriately.

Mousey, I''m sure your brother and his wife will greatly appreciate the time you have taken to ensure a fantastic gift for them... Careful... they might keep having kids to get the whole set! Earrings next year??