The Vault
11 min · Maison memorandum
Mirrors the archive entry for Pearls — Luster, surface, matching, and provenance.
Optical grading in practice
Luster depth, surface cleanliness, orient, and shape symmetry drive value across Akoya, South Sea, Tahitian, and freshwater categories. For strands, matching is an art: slight tone drift that photographs as invisible can break continuity at the auction podium. We grade strands as systems, not as loose singles averaged together.
Natural pearls and advanced testing
Historic natural strands with documented provenance are auction icons. Single naturals remain apex objects. X-ray and advanced tomography at major laboratories distinguish natural from beaded cultured structures; those lines are foundational to premium multiples.
Treatments (bleaching, dyeing, coating)
Disclosure of bleaching, dyeing, or surface coatings is material to durability and value stability. We read pearl report comments for treatment language and pair them with tactile and microscopic checks where coatings are suspected.
Portfolio role
Natural pearls with stable files trade as cultural rarity; fine cultured goods trade on design execution and brand. Allocation decisions hinge on whether the sleeve seeks generational scarcity or wearable income-producing inventory — different liquidity and care paths.