New Zealand's only land-based pāua pearl farm
Grading Our Pearls
Every Arapawa pearl is individually assessed across seven GIA attributes. Our grading system, developed with gemmologist Gina Barreto, is the only one of its kind for pāua pearls.
There is no universal grading system for pāua pearls, so we built one. We benchmarked against Tahitian, Australian South Sea, and existing New Zealand pearl growers, and drew on CIBJO and GIA standards and terminology. Our system covers all seven GIA pearl attributes: size, shape, colour, lustre, surface quality, nacre quality, and matching. Colour assessment involves two trained team members grading each pearl independently in our purpose-built evaluation room. All Arapawa pearls are untreated and never over-polished.
Six grades — A Grade through C3
A
Mirror-like lustre with very few surface imperfections. Deep, even colour saturation throughout. Our finest regularly available pearl.
B1
Very good to excellent lustre with minor surface markings. Strong colour saturation. A beautiful, refined everyday pearl.
B2
Very good lustre with moderate surface markings, including conchiolin lines — the natural growth rings of pāua. Colour can be vivid and multicoloured.
C1
Good lustre with more visible surface character and rich colour. Loved for its warmth and individuality.
Most popular
C2
Fair lustre with heavier surface markings, including conchiolin deposits. Each pearl is distinctly its own.
C3
Soft lustre with pronounced markings you can often feel by touch. Deep, complex colour. For those who love a pearl with character in its face.
Most characterful
Our quality standard
Every pearl passes through several phases of quality control before it ever reaches our grading room. It takes around four years to grow each blister pearl, and the process of selection is just as careful as the growing.
First selection at harvest
When pearls are collected, any blister or mabe pearl that doesn't meet our minimum requirements for beauty, surface, and nacre quality is discarded before grading even begins.
Nacre thickness check
We have defined a minimum nacre thickness that every pearl must achieve. Any pearl below this threshold, with missing nacre spots, or with cracks is removed from the process.
Conchiolin embraced, not penalised
We do not over-polish or treat our pearls. Conchiolin, the organic brown deposits that appear on some pearls, is a natural feature. Some clients prefer this earthy character. Our B2 grade celebrates it.
Official grading
Every pearl that passes quality control is then classified into one of seven grades, Gem through C3, assessed across all seven GIA attributes.
Best of the best
Within each grade, certain pearls stand apart. Those showing extra nacre thickness, noticeable orient, or blue colour command higher prices, even within the same grade. This is why two C1 pearls may be priced differently.
Extra nacre thickness: pearls with unusually thick nacre command higher prices within their grade
Noticeable lustre: strong iridescence visible across the surface increases value
Blue colour: GIA considers blue the rarest colour in the entire pearl industry
From the farm
Graded across seven GIA attributes
A note on colour
Blue pearls
The rarest and most valuable. GIA considers blue the rarest colour in the entire pearl industry.
Highest valueOrient pearls
Two or more overtone colours that shift and flash in the light. Rainbow iridescence visible across the surface.
High valueRegular pearls
One or two consistent colours. Our full palette runs from yellowish green through violet to pinkish purple.
Good ValueNacre pearls
Thicker pearls especially used in rings and bracelets.
Very High ValueConchiolin lines
The natural boundary between nacre layers, earthy dark markings. A sign of growth, not a flaw. Embraced from B2 grade.
UniqueOur pearl hues — GIA cool palette
Most pāua pearl colours sit in the cool section of the GIA hue circle — matching the unique palette of the Haliotis iris mother of pearl.
Hue Circle
The GIA Pearl Description System recognises these 19 hues to describe fancy coloured pearls.
How we assess colour
Colour is the most complex attribute in our grading system, and the one that makes pāua pearls so unique. GIA experts have determined that blue is the rarest colour in the entire pearl industry. The presence of blue increases the value of the pearl.
Purpose-built evaluation room
We built our grading room following GIA ideal conditions for pearl colour assessment, lighting, background, and viewing angle all controlled.
Master sets for comparison
We created our own master sets for grading pearl attributes including colour and overtones, so every assessment has a consistent reference point.
Two graders, independently
Colour assessment is done by two trained team members working independently. We've tested our team's colour perception to ensure consistency across every grading session.
Body colour + overtone recorded
Every pearl is described by its primary body colour and its overtone or orient. Other elements, hue, tone, and saturation, are also evaluated for a holistic colour record.
Body colour + overtone
Every pearl is described by two aspects: its primary body colour, and its overtone or orient — if present. Common overtones include pink, green, blue, violet, and yellow. Orient (two or more overlying colours) is distinct from a single overtone, and is considered iridescence across the surface.
A special thank you
To Gina Barreto, gemmologist and diamond technologist from the Gemmological Association of Australia, for all the tremendous work she put into developing our grading system. Gina always gave 110% and never gave up. We will always be forever grateful.
— The Radon family, Arapawa Blue Pearls
Standards we follow
From our farm
Arapawa Blue Pearls produces around ten different colour types, including rare blue. All hues match the unique palette of the Haliotis iris mother of pearl.
Every Arapawa pearl comes with a Certificate of Authenticity, unique, sustainable, NZ-origin Abalone-Pāua, direct from our farm.
NZ Origin Certified · Untreated · Direct from the farm.
The rarest blue pearls on earth, grown in land-based tanks with ocean water flowing through, on Arapaoa Island, Marlborough Sounds, for over 30 years.