Please don't attempt to compare our pearls with other suppliers' pearls, by the letters assigned to them (e.g., A grade). Different companies have different standards for pearl grading, our pearl grades are those used by the mainland Chinese pearl traders. The Chinese pearl grading standard is as follows:

	A Grade:	Extremely well shaped, white, high luster, very minor surface blemishes.
	B Grade:	Well shaped, white to light cream, high luster, minor surface blemishes.
	C Grade:	Irregular shape, off-white, medium luster (may be non-uniform), surface is irregular.
	D Grade:	Same as C grade, but one or more of the characteristics are excessively bad (such as areas of no luster or wrinkled surfaces).
	F Grade:	For promotional purposes only. Not suitable for jewelry. Most of this grade is ground up into pearl powder (used in cosmetics).

Some pearls fall between grades and are given mixed grades (A-B grade). Also, a pearl with A grade luster and C grade surface may be given a compromise B grade, though this type of pearl is avoided by Fire Mountain Gems as much as possible.

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• Cultured Freshwater Pearl Beads and Components