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How the Luster of the Pearl Affects its value

The substance that gives a pearl its "pearly" look is called nacre. It is a unique substance only found in pearls and pearl shells.  The thickness of the nacre, determined by the maturity of the pearl, is what gives it its luster.  Luster is a term used to describe the shinyness of the pearl: how well it reflects light.  The pearls with the highest luster look almost metalic.Pearls with poor luster look chalky and dull.

Lowest Value: This pearl looks dull.  This might be due to its having a thin layer of nacre.  A pearl without luster is significantly less valuable than a lustrous pearl.  You will never find such a dull pearl in fine jewelry.	Medium Value: This luster is better. It reflects light attractively though it is not extraordinary. A set of pearls like this should cost in the middle to low hundreds depending on size.	High Value:  Here is a pearl with excellent luster.  You can see how much better it reflects light.  A large pearl of this quality can cost around a thousand dollars.	Highest Value:  The luster on this pearl is the very best.  Shine like this is extremely rare and requires time and resources to cultivate.  A large pearl of this quality would cost several thousand dollars.

Learn More About Pearls

How SIZE affects the value of  a pearl 
How SURFACE quality affects the value of  a pearl 
How LUSTER affects the value of  a pearl 
How SHAPE affects the value of a pearl
How MATCHING affects the value of pearl jewelry
How COLOR affects the value of a pearl
How the TYPE affects the value of a pearl
Pearl treatments, imitations and culture
Pearl meaning and symbology

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