darker the color, the lower the price. Cream-color pearls are sometimes termed champagne pearls.

Dark Cream & Yellow: May be priced about 40% or more lower than white Akoya pearls. The darker the cream or yellow color, the greater the price difference.

When judging color, keep in mind that there is no

standardized system of communicating or grading color in the pearl industry. What one dealer calls light cream, another might call cream. Nevertheless, there is an awareness of the concept "cream color" and general agreement that cream-color Akoya pearls tend to cost less than those which are pink or white.

Overtone color(s): may or may not affect the price. The three most common overtones are pink, green and silver. If the color of the overtones has an effect on price, it will generally be as follows:
Pink overtones: Can increase the price
Silver overtones: Usually no effect
Green overtones: Sometimes may decrease the price slightly

The combination of blue and pink overtones is associated with top-quality pearls. Some Japanese dealers describe the color of the most valued Akoya pearls as a bluish-pink, which in essence is a light-pink body color with blue and pink overtones. These pearls, which are extremely rare and difficult to find in America, are sometimes classified by the Japanese as "hanadama quality."

There is no general agreement in the trade as to how overtones affect price. Most dealers, however, would probably concede that Akoya pearls with pink overtones tend to be more highly valued than those with green ones. This explains why pearls are often dyed pink but not green. What counts most about overtone is how it affects your overall impression of the color and luster of the pearls. Pearl dealers would agree, too, that the presence of overtones is highly desirable. Their absence is a sign of low luster and thin nacre.

The third color component of pearls, iridescence, is rarely obvious on round Akoya pearls. It tends to be very subtle combination of pink, blue and green. A more obvious iridescence-flashes of rainbow colors-is more likely to be seen on freshwater pearls and baroque shapes. Iridescence is always considered a positive value factor.

When examining pearls for color remember the following tips:

• Judge the color of pearls against a non-reflective white background. Pearls not only reflect the color of the background, they also absorb it. Afterwards, place the pearls on your hand or around your neck to see how they look on you.

• Take into consideration the lighting (see next section). If possible look at the pearls under different types of light sources-daylight near a window, fluorescent, and incandescent (light bulbs). You'll probably be wearing the pearls under a variety of light sources.

• It's a lot easier to compare color than to remember it. If possible, wear or take along some comparison pearls. Otherwise, compare the color to other pearls in the store. Even using white and cream-colored papers as color references is better than relying on color memory.

• When pearl strands are exactly adjacent, their color may seem to bleed from one strand to another. Therefore, also compare them slightly separated from each other.

• Every now and then, look away from the pearls at other colors and objects. When you focus on one color too long, your perception of it becomes distorted.