7101 - Pearls, natural or cultured, whether or not worked or graded but not strung, mounted or set; pearls, natural or cultured, temporarily strung for convenience of transport:

This HTS category encompasses natural and cultured pearls, whether they have undergone processing like grading or working. Crucially, these pearls are classified here only if they are not yet strung, mounted, or set into jewelry or other finished articles. The category also includes pearls temporarily strung for ease of transportation, a common practice to facilitate bulk handling and shipping without constituting a finished piece.

Within the broader HTS framework, this category is distinct from categories covering live animals (e.g., Chapters 01-05) or manufactured goods that may incorporate pearls. Unlike categories for finished jewelry (which would fall under different headings within Chapter 71), this section focuses specifically on the pearls themselves as raw or semi-finished materials. The classification hinges on the state of the pearl – its material composition, origin (natural or cultured), and its lack of permanent assembly into a final product.

The subcategories within 7101 differentiate between natural pearls, which are formed organically within mollusks without human intervention, and cultured pearls, which are created through human intervention to stimulate the formation of a pearl sac. This distinction is fundamental for customs valuation and trade statistics, reflecting different sourcing and production methods. Further subdivisions within these subcategories, if present at lower levels, would typically detail specific types, sizes, or treatments of pearls.