For every AAA Japanese Akoya cultivated pearl necklace, American Pearl can supply you with a GIA certificate. Many customers inquire about appraisals and certifications when purchasing a superb strand of cultivated pearls from American Pearl. There is no doubt about that. But until they are worn by someone who has not been reported to have any medical conditions related to mercury exposure, they are still beautiful jewelry. The truth is that most certified diamonds and pearls are worth more than their weight in gold. That's because there are limits on the amount of precious metals that can be used in art and jewelry. When this limit is reached, the remaining material is valued based on its beauty. In other words, your diamond or pearl is priceless because nobody will ever sell it for less than its value. The problem is that you can't see priceless things unless they're hanging on someone's neck. Which is why certified diamonds and pearls usually come with some kind of documentation saying that what you're wearing is actually valuable. This document is called a certificate. It can be a paper copy or an electronic record stored in a database. No matter how well done, certificates are just pieces of paper or plastic. They could be fake or lost if something bad happens to them.