Luster
Biggest driverSharpness of light off the nacre, mirror-like edge versus soft glow. Crisp luster can double a lot's value.
South Sea pearl grading guide
Five measurable factors set a South Sea pearl's grade: luster, surface, shape, size, and colour with overtone. How Lombok and Bali graders judge each, how grade sets price per gram, and what paperwork to expect.
The five value factors
South Sea pearls grow in Pinctada maxima, and one industry source credits Indonesia with roughly 45% of world production in 2014. Graders in Lombok, Sumbawa and north Bali check what buyers in Hong Kong and Tokyo check on arrival.
Luster and surface cannot be judged from a spec sheet, so our quotations attach per-lot inspection notes and daylight photographs instead of a bare letter grade.
How exporters use AAA, AA and A
The letter scale compresses five factors into three trade bands. Used honestly, it speeds up sorting and quoting; used loosely, it hides chalky surfaces.
| Grade | Luster | Surface | Typical buyer |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | Sharp, mirror-like | Face at least 95% clean; flaws invisible at arm's length | Fine jewelry houses, matched strands, top golden rounds |
| AA | Good, slightly soft edges | Roughly 80–90% clean face | Mid-range jewelry; pendants and earrings where one face shows |
| A | Noticeably soft, or visible marks | 70% clean or less | Commercial jewelry, carved settings, accent pieces |
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AAA
- Luster
- Sharp, mirror-like
- Surface
- Face at least 95% clean; flaws invisible at arm's length
- Typical buyer
- Fine jewelry houses, matched strands, top golden rounds
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AA
- Luster
- Good, slightly soft edges
- Surface
- Roughly 80–90% clean face
- Typical buyer
- Mid-range jewelry; pendants and earrings where one face shows
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A
- Luster
- Noticeably soft, or visible marks
- Surface
- 70% clean or less
- Typical buyer
- Commercial jewelry, carved settings, accent pieces
- AAA/AA/A charts are trade conventions, not standards from any government body, and thresholds shift from house to house.
- We state a grade only from physical inspection under standard lighting or an accompanying certificate, never from a supplier's word.
Nacre thickness and golden colour origin
Nacre is the pearl itself. South Sea pearls stay in the oyster two years or more, so a healthy harvest carries thick nacre and layered luster. Thin-nacre pearls can look fine at sale and turn dull within two years.
Natural Indonesian and Australian goldens tend toward light champagne; Philippine goldens reach deeper mustard. Dyed and irradiated "goldens" also circulate, so deep, uniform gold at champagne-lot prices should raise questions.
- Time in oyster
- Two years or more
- Ask for
- Nacre condition in writing
- Colour origin
- Stated in our inspection notes
- Large golden lots
- An independent laboratory report can be arranged before deposit
How grade drives price per gram
Indicative loose-pearl anchors as of 2026, not offers. Every lot is priced per grade and size at inspection, and the written quotation confirms.
| Trade band | What moves a lot inside it | IDR per gram |
|---|---|---|
| A / commercial | Surface coverage, shape mix, size spread | 100,000–250,000 |
| AA | Luster sharpness, matching across the lot | 250,000–500,000 |
| AAA, 12 mm+ rounds | Natural golden saturation, flawless faces, strand matching | 500,000–5,000,000 |
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A / commercial
- What moves a lot inside it
- Surface coverage, shape mix, size spread
- IDR per gram
- 100,000–250,000
-
AA
- What moves a lot inside it
- Luster sharpness, matching across the lot
- IDR per gram
- 250,000–500,000
-
AAA, 12 mm+ rounds
- What moves a lot inside it
- Natural golden saturation, flawless faces, strand matching
- IDR per gram
- 500,000–5,000,000
- Lombok loose South Sea pearls commonly trade around IDR 100,000–500,000 per gram. Single pearls at one Indonesian producer span USD 2 to USD 7,500 per piece.
- Lombok cultivated pearl shipments exceeded IDR 507.9 billion in 2023, up from IDR 209.2 billion in 2022.
- The Indonesian Pearl Cultivation Association reported Lombok prices rising from USD 5 to USD 16.3 per gram around 2011–2012.
Indonesian market studies report IDR 100,000 to 5,000,000 per gram by type and grade. Sekarbela in Lombok is the trade centre where loose stock changes hands daily.
How a graded lot quotation works
The written quotation usually follows within two working days, and it is the only number that binds.
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Send your specification
Size range in mm, shape, colour, grade band, quantity and destination country, since documents differ by market.
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We grade lots
Candidate lots from partner farms in Lombok, Sumbawa and north Bali, graded under standard lighting.
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Written quotation
Per-lot sizes, gram weights, luster and surface notes, colour origin, and daylight photos or video of the actual pearls.
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Documents follow
KKP export approval, a Quality Certificate, a Certificate of Origin where required, and the BKIPM Mataram Health Certificate.
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Insured shipping
Under HS 7101210000 (unworked) or 7101220000 (worked), with the grading paperwork in the parcel.
Grading questions
Need a lot graded?
Send size, shape, colour and grade band. The BD desk replies with a written, inspection-backed quotation.
Ask the desk
Request a graded lot quotation
Tell the BD desk your size, shape, colour and grade band. A written, inspection-backed quotation usually follows within two working days.