Your BeadifulBABY freshwater and akoya cultured pearls are hand-selected by our very own BeadifulBABY pearl expert - a GIA Pearls graduate.

At BeadifulBABY we use only the highest-quality and rarest freshwater and akoya cultured pearls (i.e. the best 2% of all freshwater and akoya cultured pearls produced) direct from some of the best pearl farms in the world.

Each pearl farm adheres to their own grading system with most pearl farms labeling the best pearls as Grade AAA. We buy the very best pearl strands with the highest grading standards of a particular vendor. We then employ our own strict grading system based on the GIA Pearl Description System also known as the GIA 7 Pearl Value Factors™ to select only the very best and finest pearls from each strand we receive for your custom heirloom jewelry.

There is no industry-standard grading system for pearls and there is no definitive measure in grading pearls. Pearls are graded by each jeweler by evaluating key factors such as nacre thickness, degree of luster, surface markings, shape, color, size, and matching.

At BeadifulBABY we use the GIA Pearl Description System also known as the GIA 7 Pearl Value Factors™ standards to grade each and every cultured pearl we use in your custom BeadifulBABY jewelry. The seven value factors are: size, shape, color, luster, surface quality, nacre quality, and matching.

We label our very best pearls as grade AAA. We define grade AAA as having a clean surface quality (i.e. 95% inclusion-free), excellent mirror-like luster, and almost perfectly round to the eye. We define grade AA as having a lightly blemished surface quality (i.e. 90-95% inclusion-free), good luster, and round to near-round in shape.

We use only natural colored freshwater and akoya cultured pearls - never dyed. Our cultured pearl beaded bracelets are created using white and mauve freshwater cultured pearls of various hues, tones, and saturations. Please be aware since cultured pearls are a naturally-derived organic colored gemstone and not a manufactured item - your pearl color may vary from any and all product photos displayed on our site. We always use white and mauve bodycolors with varying degrees of hues, tones, and saturations. We cannot gaurantee your mauve pearl will match exactly a product photo displayed on our site as this is almost impossible to do with a natural-occurring non-dyed gemstone. We can however assure your jewelry item will be beautiful, well-matched in all seven value factors, and heirloom-quality.

Since pearls are a natural gemstone the degree of white and mauve will vary from jewelry item to jewelry item, however, each bracelet or necklace we hand create for you will have near perfect matching. The term matching in the pearl industry means all of the pearls on a jewelry item look almost exactly alike.

The GIA defines excellent matching as pearls having a similar appearance and drilled on center. All seven value factors must be considered in determining a finished jewelry item's value. A perfect set of cultured pearls will have a price tag which reflects its perfection - often in the unattainable range.

Grading pearls is subjective and since there is no set standard for grading pearls it is very important you understand the grading system each jeweler adheres to. When buying pearls online be sure to view product photos carefully - quality jewelers will have high-quality product photos displaying the whole jewelry item in detail not just a portion of the product. Although the pearls used in a product photo will not be the pearls used on your specific jewelry item the product photos are still good indicators of the quality of pearl the jeweler has available.

We offer gorgeous cultured pearl heirloom jewelry that exceeds the cultured pearl jewelry often found in most well-known independent jewelry stores - and with a price tag well below these stores offerings. We pride ourselves as being a guild store - selling high-end cultured pearl jewelry with customization options you would be hard-pressed to find any where else.

Our BeadifulBABY jewelry artisans meticulously sort through the Grade AAA cultured pearl strands we purchase from cultured pearl farms - searching for cultured pearls of the same bodycolors, overtones, hues, tones, and saturation - and with similar value factors. It sometimes takes going through several Grade AAA strands of cultured pearls to create one or more jewelry items with excellent matched cultured pearls.

We know your gift is important to you so we take the time to create a gift you'd be proud to give to your friends and loved ones. We welcome you to compare your BeadifulBABY heirloom cultured pearl jewelry with other retailers - we know our cultured pearls will stand high above the rest - and at a price you'll love.

	Buyer Beware Many jewelers are misrepresenting the pearls they offer by omitting the word "cultured". This implies their pearls are the much more valuable naturally occurring variety. This occurs both online and in reputable jewelry stores. Usually this is just an oversight, but sometimes the omission is a deliberate attempt to mislead potential customers. Cultured Pearls are Real Pearls The vast majority of pearls for sale today (over 99%) are cultured (grown) by one of several methods. Cultured pearls are genuine pearls made of the same nacre found in natural pearls. Cultured pearls are formed by the same processes inside mussels and oysters that form natural pearls. Pearls form around irritants that get inside a mussel or oyster. The primary difference between natural and cultured pearls is how the irritant gets inside the mollusk. Natural Pearls are Rare & Expensive Naturally occurring pearls are extremely rare and are most often vintage gems found selling in auction houses or estate sales for very high prices. A single baby bracelet of top-quality natural 6mm pearls (similar to the top-quality cultured pearls we use in our jewelry lines) would sell for thousands of dollars. A single 16mm natural freshwater pearl of very high quality recently sold at auction for $50,000. Our Ethical Standards As a member of the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA), BeadifulBABY strictly adheres to the AGTA Code of Ethics and Principles of Fair Business Practices. We also strictly adhere to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) jewelry and precious metals guidelines. The FTC states you must use the term "cultured" when referring to cultured pearls. Merely referring to a pearl as a "pearl" instead of a "cultured pearl" implies the pearl is natural. We pride ourselves in upholding the ethical standards set forth by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Sincerely, Shelli M. Galbraith, GIA Pearls Graduate