Two weeks ago, I walked out of my hotel, about to hail another crazy Hong Kong Taxi...
...And up pulls a cherry red Ferrari “Enzo” (I had to look up the model after).
I’m not a car nut, but I couldn’t help but stare. My pulse quickened and I found myself taking an involuntary gasp of air.
There's a lot of fancy cars in Hong Kong, but anybody could see this car was something special!
(Turns out there are only 400 in the entire world)
The sensation I felt that morning is identical to what most people experience when they first see a strand of “top range” Hanadama or Madama Akoya pearls in the flesh.
You just know they're special – THIS is what it’s all about.
If South Sea pearls are the Rolls Royce of pearls....
...Hanadama Akoyas are their sleeker, faster, sexier cousins.
The Ferraris of the pearl world.
Read More: Hanadama Buying Guide
The term "Hanadama" is a special designation given to pearls that have been examined by the Pearl Science Laboratory of Japan and passed a series of rigorous tests.
They test for:
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Luster (must exhibit "very strong" luster)
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Nacre thickness (a min. of .8mm of total nacre)
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Near flawless surface (only 1 "deep" inclusion per strand)
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Orient/Aurora (a rainbow-like soap bubble effect on the surface of the pearl)
The most important factor being luster! Hanadama pearls are the highest luster cultured pearls available - period. This is the same level of quality that Mikimoto and Tiffany’s is famous for selling (at prices starting around $10,000, mind you). The kind of luster that draws attention from across a crowded room.
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This one might ruffle a few feathers in the pearl world.
The truth is, the Hanadama designation is not really a pearl grade; instead, think of it as a range or class of pearls.
You have the “just barely passed” strands and then you have the “OMG how is that possible” top range strands, and everything in between.
Owning a strand of Hanadama pearls is about owning the best pearls that nature can produce.
So it's my opinion that if you're going to invest in a
Hanadama (or Madama) certified strand, they
MUST be top range pearls.
Madama pearls are natural colored (silver to blue) Akoya pearls of equivalent quality to Hanadama.
They undergo all the same testing as Hanadama, with one extra test to ensure the coloring is natural.
The body color will shift from blue to silver depending on the light, along with intense overtones and orient.
These pearls are utterly transporting. There's nothing else quite like them in the pearl world.
By their nature, Hanadama and Madama certified Akoyas (at the top end of the range) are always hard to source....
But keep in mind "Hanadama" certification is a range. If you're going to invest the money, you want to make sure it's "top range" Hanadama, not "just barely passed" Hanadama.
For that, your only choice is Pearls Of Joy. Click the image below to see our selection.
