Grading Policy

1. Artisanal Production Limitations: No pin is 100% perfect. All enamel pins are handcrafted with intricate detailing.  Imperfections naturally occur, particularly with:
• Multi-effect designs
• Larger dimensions
• Complex finishing techniques

2. Grading Methodology: While each pin undergoes individual inspection, grading reflects:
• Industry-standard variance between artisans
• Design/manufacturing complexity
• Size and effect implementation

 

3. Grades for Pericat Studio:

- A Grade/standard Grade: Virtually imperceptible flaws under normal display conditions. They are the closest to perfection you could get. However, as the pins are handmade, even the A grade pins, small or minor flaws may be visible if you examine under light and tilt at various angles.

The minor flaws may include but is not limited to light scuffs, dings/dents, pinpricks, specks of paint, dust specks and minor screenprint errors. Anything with special effects has a higher chance of containing minor problems such as uneven glitter specks, small dark areas in glow in the dark, bubbles in the stained glass or glittered areas, and so forth. Essentially, these pins contain minor flaws, but they are not visible when held at arm's length.

- B Grade/Minor Flaws: Has visible flaws that are more noticeable than A Grade but don’t ruin the overall look when viewed normally.  Flaws may include the following: lower enamel fills, tiny speck of glitter or dust, more noticeable scratches or scuffs (usually on metal from over polishing), enamel paint bleeding over to another area, small paint drops in the wrong area, small air bubbles in the fill, more obvious screenprint errors, missing enamel, slightly oxidized metal, and anything else mentioned above in A Grade grading. Flaws can be seen at arm’s length or close up.

- C Grade/Major Flaws: Cosmetic defects affecting aesthetics. These include heavily scratched areas, deep pinpricks, missing screen print, missing metal, missing enamel, wrongly colored enamel and anything else mentioned in A Grade and B-Grade grading.

 

4. Quality Assessment Protocol: 
• Evaluation limited to front display surfaces
• Post stability excluded from grading criteria
• All grades inherit higher-tier imperfection possibilities