Jewelry made from the Tahitian black pearl is some of the most sought after in the world, and for good reason – black pearls are rare. To assist jewelry buyers in selecting only the finest black pearls, the Groupement d’Intérêt Economique Perles de Tahiti, known in English as the GIE Tahiti Pearls, created a set of standards broken down into four categories: size, shape, quality and color. Size – The majority of Tahitian black pearls used in today’s jewelry range in size from 9mm up to 12mm. The rarest and most expensive of these pearls can be as large as 18 millimeters. Shape – The shape of the pearl often determines in what kind of jewelry it is used; necklace, bracelet or earrings. The five shape categories are Round, Semi-round, Semi-baroque, Baroque and Circled. Quality – Perhaps the most difficult of the categories, but the GIE has determined what to look for, including imperfections in the surface and the luster. The best quality black pearls will shine, sparkle and reflect light. The are placed in one of the following four sub-categories: read more