Why Pearl Grades Are Not Universal

A retailer grade is not a universal currency

Pearl sellers commonly use labels such as A, AA, AAA, AAAA, “gem quality,” “Hanadama,” “premium” or proprietary house grades.

These labels can be useful within one seller’s system, but shoppers should not assume that the same letters mean exactly the same thing across different retailers.

Classification and grading are not identical

GIA’s 7 Pearl Value Factors provide a structured vocabulary for describing size, shape, color, luster, surface, nacre and matching.

This creates a common framework for observing pearl characteristics.

CIBJO also maintains pearl nomenclature and classification guidance through its Pearl Blue Book and Pearl Guide.

However, CIBJO’s 2026 Pearl Commission report specifically discusses the continuing debate over a potential universal grading system and explains that different sectors and pearl types have different classification needs.

Why a single grade is difficult

Pearls combine many variables:

• multiple mollusk species,
• different cultivation methods,
• different size ranges,
• different natural color ranges,
• bead-nucleated and non-bead-nucleated structures,
• changing harvest profiles.

A simple letter can hide those differences.

“AAA” should trigger a follow-up question

When a seller advertises a pearl as AAA, ask:

AAA according to what published criteria?

A useful grading system should explain what the grade means for luster, surface, shape, nacre and matching.

Without that definition, the label is difficult to compare with another seller’s AAA.

Laboratory reports are different

A GIA pearl report does not simply translate a retailer’s AAA label into an official equivalent.

It independently identifies and, depending on the report type, classifies documented pearl characteristics.

Pearlpedia approach

Pearlpedia stores retailer grades as claims.

We do not automatically convert “AAA,” “Hanadama,” “premium” or similar marketing terms into a Pearlpedia quality score unless the underlying evidence supports the scored characteristics.

Four-retailer grading evidence comparison

Sources checked October 21, 2026. The table summarizes what four sellers publish, separated by pearl type. It does not establish that a listed item meets those criteria or that two sellers inspected pearls under identical conditions. Percentages describe each seller’s own surface terminology; they are not scores assigned by Pearlpedia.

Pearl Paradise’s source was read as indexed official text because direct automated access returned 403. The other sources were directly retrieved. “Not recovered” means the reviewed text did not establish the detail; it does not mean the seller never publishes it.

Download the dated grading comparison and source-access methods (JSON).

How to use the comparison on a real purchase

First match pearl type, diameter, strand length and metal. Then ask what the seller means by the item’s exact grade, which characteristics are documented and which are missing. A surface percentage cannot establish luster, matching or nacre quality by itself. A threshold in a methodology is not evidence of an item-specific measurement.

For example, the audited AKWAYA Akoya listing now says AA, while several other sellers’ listings say AAA. Neither the letter count nor the prices alone settle which strand is better. Our freshwater necklace comparison also shows why changing from a silver clasp to a gold clasp can change a price without changing the listed pearl size.

If a seller uses Hanadama, request the issuing laboratory, report number and confirmation that the report describes the exact pearls. A seller certificate of authenticity and a laboratory identification or classification report serve different purposes. Read pearl laboratory reports before treating a marketing designation as independent evidence.