Decoding Pearl Value: Verifiable Grading Standards

Overview

Most online sellers will grade a pearl 'AAA' and ask you to hand over your credit card. But without an outside standard, that letter means absolutely nothing. I'm sitting down with our Gemologist to look at American Pearl, a New York jeweler that takes a radically different approach to grading. That's right, Show Host.

In this show

• Most online sellers will grade a pearl 'AAA' and ask you to hand over your credit card. But without an outside standard, that letter means absolutely nothing. I'm sitting down with our Gemologist to look at American Pearl, a New York jeweler that takes a radically different approach to grading.
• That's right, Show Host. Most sellers use a self-defined 'house scale.' American Pearl anchors its grades to the original A to AAA standard developed by Mikimoto's gemologists. They literally match their pearls side-by-side against indexed master strands. You can verify where the pearl actually ranks.
• Wait, so if I buy a 'True AAA' Akoya strand from them, it actually means something specific in the broader market?
• Exactly. And they back it up with independent paperwork. Every certified strand comes with a report from the Gemological Institute of America—the GIA—or Japan's Pearl Science Laboratory. They don't just ask you to take their word for it.
• I've seen other retail sites use percentages, like claiming a pearl has a '95 percent clean surface.' American Pearl refuses to do that. Why?
• Because surface percentages are made up. No scientific instrument measures that. Plus, the surface around the drill holes is hidden from view anyway. Instead, they use the GIA's descriptive bands—like 'very slightly blemished'—which is a trained judgment you can actually verify with your own eyes.
• That makes a lot more sense. What about the different types of pearls? Do they grade a dark Tahitian the exact same way they grade a freshwater pearl?
• No, they use separate scales tailored to the pearl. Akoya pearls use an eight-step scale because their luster varies so much. Tahitian, South Sea, and freshwater pearls use a four-step scale. Each grade explicitly states the required luster and surface level.
• I noticed some of their grades have a number attached, like AA1. What does that one mean?
• That's a clever transparency tool. The '1' means the luster hits that grade's level—say, AA—but the surface sits one step lower. It separates luster from surface so you know exactly where your money is going.
• Brilliant. So to wrap up: one, American Pearl ties their grades to the original Mikimoto standard. Two, they back top strands with GIA or Pearl Science Lab reports. And three, they reject made-up percentages for specific, verifiable descriptions. Thanks for breaking this down, Gemologist.