Pure Pearls Glossary
Certificate of Authenticity
A document stating what a pearl is. Useful in proportion to who issued it and what it actually tests.
A meaningful report identifies whether the pearl is natural or cultured, freshwater or saltwater, and whether colour has been treated. Serious reports rely on X-ray and spectroscopy, not visual inspection.
A seller-issued certificate is a statement of what the seller believes and stands behind. That has real value as a returns and warranty document, and none as independent verification.
For everyday pearl jewellery, independent lab certification usually costs a meaningful share of the piece's value, which is why it is normally reserved for large single saltwater pearls.
When you are buying
Insist on independent certification for a large South Sea or Tahitian pearl, or for any pearl bought for astrological use. For a freshwater strand, a clear written description and a returns policy protect you better than a certificate does.
Read next
Natural Pearl
A pearl that formed with no human involvement at all. Vanishingly rare, and effectively absent from the retail market.
South Sea Pearl
The largest commercially grown pearl, from the gold-lipped or silver-lipped oyster. Typically 9mm to 16mm, white to deep gold.
Dosham-Free Pearl
A pearl free of the specific flaws that Vedic astrology considers inauspicious — cracks, pits, spots and irregular colour.
Hallmark
An official stamp certifying precious metal purity. In India, BIS hallmarking is mandatory for gold jewellery.
Not sure what you are being sold?
Paste any pearl description — another shop’s listing, a message from a jeweller, an old certificate — and we will break it down term by term.