Thursday, November 29, 2007

Cultured Pearl Quality Inspection

Cultured Pearl Quality Inspection

Nacre Thickness
All pearls will be inspected for thickness of nacre. Pearls with nacre so thin that the core nuclei can be seen through the nacre will be rejected.

Luster and Clarity

Pearls with low luster will be rejected. Pearls that are strongly permeated by calcite and organic matter,
resulting in muddy gray, brown or blue colors, will be rejected.

Surface Blemishes

Pearls that exhibit excessive amounts of blemishes, such as bumps, pits and scratches, will be rejected.

Nacre Damage

Pearls that exhibit visible cracks in the nacre or on the nuclei will be rejected. Pearls that display any signs of nacre peeling or chipping will be rejected.

Processing

Pearls exhibiting signs of damage form bleaching or dyeing or which are judged to unstable in terms of permanency of appearance and quality,
will be rejected. Pearls which display characteristics of uneven dye methods or over-dyeing resulting in excess dye residue on the surface of the pearl, will be rejected.

Source: JPEA: Japan Pearl Exporters’ Association

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