The article explores the third classification criterion of cultured pearls: the brightness of the pearls.

For those who have not had the opportunity to read the previous articles in this edition, we suggest:

• part 1 on the shape of cultured pearls;
• part 2 on the size of cultured pearls.

The importance of the criterion

The brightness of a pearl is one of the most important aspects in its evaluation.

A pearl with excellent luminosity gives light to the wearer making it a perfect accessory for any occasion. On the other hand, a pearl with lower luminosity stands out less when worn.

Furthermore, a well-marked luminosity brings out the colors of the pearl itself, highlighting all its nuances of colour.

Identify brightness

There are several measurement scales to indicate the level of brightness of a pearl. We usually use a numbering from 1 to 5 where 1 is the maximum degree of brightness and 5 the least. But different scales are used commercially.

A pearl of maximum luminosity has a highly marked reflective surface. If you look closely you can see your own reflection or the reflection of the lights in the room on the surface of the pearl.

As the brightness of the pearl decreases, its reflective properties decrease until the pearl becomes completely opaque.

Pearls that have an average luminosity can sometimes appear to have a patina that envelops the surface of the pearl and does not allow it to shine.

There are also pearls that do not have a uniform luminosity along their entire surface, and therefore have a brighter part and a less luminous part. It is useful to evaluate a frame that highlights the brightest part or to think of a jewel that plays on this double luminosity.

Factors affecting the brightness of a pearl

Several factors can affect the brightness of a pearl.
We remember:

• The type of core that was used in making the pearl. There are cores with better reflective properties than others.
• As far as freshwater pearls are concerned, the presence of epithelium or a nucleus has various impacts both on the hue and on the luminosity that the pearl presents.
• The degree of cultivation, the more layers of pearlescent there are, the more luminous the pearl will be with the other characteristics being equal.
• The type of pearl. For example, Japanese Akoya pearls are famous for their strong luminosity. See cover photo on the left Japanese akoya pearl of excellent luminosity compared with a freshwater pearl on the right

All Trimi pearls are selected with their luminosity in mind and it is one of our key criteria. The pearls purchased on our site or from authorized dealers all have a marked brightness.

In the next article we will analyze the next two classification criteria, the surface area and the degree of cultivation, stay tuned!