All of the Akoya pearls at PearlsOnly are Japanese Akoya pearls imported directly from Japan. All of our pearls are reviewed by the Japanese Pearl Export Association and tagged with the JPEA Tag to ensure quality and lasting value.

PearlsOnly uses the AAAA Pearl Quality Grading System to grade its Japanese pearls. All Japanese Akoya pearls are graded and assigned a grade on these following value factors:

• Luster of the pearl
• Surface of the pearl
• Shape of the pearl
• Nacre Thickness

	Grading Introduction Japanese Akoya Grading Guide Freshwater Grading Guide Tahitian Grading Guide Golden South Sea Grading Guide White South Sea Grading Guide Grading FAQ

Japan Pearl Export Association Tag - your guaranteed of top quality Japanese Akoya pearl.

Using the AAAA Pearl Quality Grading System the Overall Grade offers HIGHEST value to our customers since some value factors can be higher than the overall grade.

Just like in the example on the right, the pearl necklace has AAAA Luster, Shape and Nacre, however it is still assigned just a grade of AAA because the Surface is AAA.

Our AAAA grade is reserved for the utmost best Japanese Pearls in the world. This quality is also referred to as Hanadama Quality. Pearls that achieve a grade of AAAA in ALL of the value factors, are of Hanadama Quality and can be Hanadama Certified. To learn more about Hanadama Pearls visit our Hanadama Education Pages.

Luster or shine is the indication of how well the pearl reflects the like. A good way to think of luster is like a mirror. It is a very important value factor for the overall grade of the pearls.

Surface describes any divots, small natural scratches and other pearl imperfections on the body of the pearl

Pearls grow in various shapes, from baroque to perfectly round, and anywhere in between. The roundness of the pearl can be very small, however those pearls reaching the perfect roundness, also command the most expensive price.

Nacre thickness indicates how thick is the coating of the pearl. Nacre thickness is easily spotted by how shinny (lustrous) the pearl is and by the process know as 'rolling' and evaluating the pearl for a phenomenon called blinking.