J. Hunter pearl grader — Savusavu black pearls

J. Hunter Pearls in Savusavu (Vanua Levu) is the standard source for Fiji black pearls and one of the longest-running retail operations in the country. Their published per-strand rates are the most consistent reference. A round 8mm high-lustre black strand sits around FJD 800; round 12mm high-lustre black around FJD 5,500; round 10mm around FJD 2,200. These are not auction prices and not Souk prices — they're what you'd be charged at the Savusavu showroom or at a major reseller like a Denarau resort jeweller.

The grading uses five dimensions — the classic pearl 5 C's: Carat (here, millimetre diameter — a 10mm pearl weighs roughly 3× of a 7mm), Colour (body colour plus overtone), Clarity (surface — clean, lightly blemished, heavily blemished), Cut (in this context, shape — round vs baroque), and Craft (matching across the strand, knot work, clasp quality). The calculator applies the four pricing-axis discounts (shape, lustre, colour-rare, surface) and produces a single indicative FJD figure.

Shape discount is the largest single swing. Round is the rarity — natural round pearls make up roughly 5–10% of any harvest. Semi-round drops are 30–40% less; baroque (free-form) are 50–70% less but have a strong design-led following. Lustre is the second-largest. A mirror-bright surface reflects clearly, and that effect is hard to fake. Low-lustre pearls look chalky and read as cheap even at 12mm.

Colour premiums are small but real. The "peacock" overtone (a green-purple iridescence over a black body) is the most prized by collectors and commands a small premium over plain black. Aubergine and pink carry small premiums; green and silver are usually priced at par. None of these premiums survive contact with blemish or shape discounts — a baroque peacock is still a baroque pearl.

Surface is the last axis. Eye-clean is the standard for the strand's price line. Light blemishes (small pits, one or two spots) are acceptable at 10–25% of the surface. Heavy blemishing is where pearl-grading discipline starts — heavily-blemished strands sit 50%+ below their reference price. Always inspect the strand under a single bright lamp, not the diffused shop lighting.

• Not a J. Hunter quote. Retail rates move with harvest, season and FX. Always ask for a written quote on the day.
• Doesn't model matching. A round strand with mismatched colour or lustre between pearls is graded down further. The calculator assumes the strand is matched.
• Doesn't model clasp & setting. 18k gold clasps add FJD 200–800; silver adds FJD 30–80. Not included.
• Single-strand reference. Double-strand, twisted, and graduated designs scale differently — usually 1.6–2.0× the single-strand reference.
• Doesn't include certificate of origin. J. Hunter issues farm-of-origin certificates for higher-end strands; resale value is meaningfully higher with the certificate.