The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) has released an industry-wide handbook for pearl classification that provides consumers with pertinent information on the pearl’s appearance, size and overall quality.

Published by CIBJO’s Pearl Commission, the first edition of the CIBJO Guide for Classifying Natural Pearls and Cultured Pearls is a 62-page illustrated document that gives an overview of various pearl categories around the world.

It likewise highlights existing parameters used to define and assess the pearl’s appearance, physical dimensions and quality. 

Complementing the CIBJO Pearl Blue Book, which is viewed as the authoritative reference for technical standards and nomenclature in the pearl sector, the CIBJO pearl guide serves as a primer and education tool tailored for jewellery consumers and pearl lovers.

The guide lists, describes and illustrates the primary pearl-producing molluscs and the type of pearls that they produce. A comprehensive breakdown of saltwater and freshwater cultured pearl types in the market is likewise provided, including species, origin, characteristics and production. It details the system for classifying natural pearls from Akoya variants and supplies information about pearl treatments and other pearl types such as keshi.

A team at Paspaley Pearling in Australia wrote the original draft of the guide, according to CIBJO. The Akoya complex natural pearl classification section was prepared by experts at the Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (DANAT).