Analysis and pearl certification

Pearl technical evaluation and gemmological certificate

Gemmological analysis and certification of pearls

Eliotis Perle is accredited by Cisgem (Italian Gemmological Institute), for this reason you can rely on us to recognise, evaluate and certify any type of pearl, natural, cultured or an imitation.

All artisanal jewellery produced by Eliotis Perle is also accompanied by a quality certification (gemmological certificate) to ensure that our customers purchase a pearl jewellery piece, which is unique and of high quality.

What is a gemmological certificate?

This is a document that accompanies the jewellery piece and certifies its characteristics.

It is not always easy to understand the value of a pearl, partly because many of its characteristics are subjective and not fully measurable. The pearl is also a natural gem, so it is normal for imperfections to occur, which impact on its luster and precisely for this reason, the milder the imperfections, the more the pearl is worth.

Pearl classification

There are two main systems of classification for the value of pearls and these serve mainly to render the evaluation of the jewels more objective and measurable.

However, it should be emphasised that all systems measure the same chemical-physical characteristics, which depending on the type of system, may be more or less explicit.

The AAA classification system (the most widely used in the USA) evaluates pearls with a scale that goes from A (the lowest grade that corresponds to a pearl with more than 25% of the surface with blemishes) to AAA (the highest grade that corresponds to a pearl with at least 95% of the surface without blemishes).

On the other hand, the A-D classification system (or Tahitian system) considers pearls in a scale from A (highest grade, with surface flaws under 10%) to D (lowest grade, with flaws of 60%).

Eliotis Perle certificates for your pearl jewellery pieces

Our certificates for the evaluation of pearls consist of four main sections.

• Description: length, presence of holes, closure of jewellery piece
• Details: shape, colour, weight and size of the pearl are normally recorded here
• Results: the main characteristics following the analysis carried out on the pearl are declared here. We mainly refer to:
  • The identification of the pearl and its formation environment
  • The mollusc (where possible) or the scientific name of the oyster from which the pearl originated
  • Any colour treatments
  • Estimate or measurement of the thickness of the nacre layer
• Classification of the pearl: carried out on the basis of its luminescence to UV rays, its luster and its surface regularity

The analysis can be carried out on single or detached pearls, on jewellery pieces such as pearl necklaces or strings of pearls, pearl rings or earrings. More detailed qualitative analysis, which would include fluorescence, diffraction and spectrometry can be agreed separately.
The completed Eliotis Perle document that ensures the quality of the pearl jewellery piece may also be produced in English in accordance with international standards and nomenclature.

copy of the gemmological certificate

Do you own a pearl jewellery piece or loose pearls and don’t know how to value their quality?

Fill in the form with your information, describing your pearl jewellery piece and upload a photo, we will contact you as soon as possible for an initial assessment.