珍珠等级 - hanadama

If I can attempt to quickly sum up the hanadama thing: With akoyas, enough thickness of nacre to last a few years has become an issue. Hanadama grade means the nacre is a guaranteed thickness because it has been measured. Most akoyas are not measured for thickness of nacre and thus the buyer is vulnerable to people to would sell akoyas of such thin nacre that the mother of pearl bead inside can be seen through the nacre. The lower the price of an akoya, the more likely it is thin-skinned. The only bargains one will find in thick skinned akoyas will be finds in thrift shops which are rare and in vintage akoya necklaces, both of which require intense shopping.

So, with akoyas the seller is the most important thing！ Sellers, some good ones know good pearls and can be depended on to get good quality, exactly as graded, from dealers they can trust. Even so, that hanadama grade is proof positive that the nacre is thick.

So knowledgeable people pick out some of their own inventory that is already the best AAA luster, shape, and surface and send it for hanadama certification. An akoya necklace does not get better than that.

It is possible to send a thick skinned necklace with lower AA grade luster and at least one non-member site has sold these, but the outfits from here that go to that trouble, save it for the best of the AAA luster.

I would not worry about the difference in thickness, as long as the minimum is met, though we really do not have the evidence that even .5 nacre lasts for centuries, yet, but we do know it will last at least one lifetime of wear