Japanese pearls are revered throughout the world for their exquisite beauty. Japan has a thriving pearl industry and its pearls command center stage in jewelry markets everywhere. When considering Japan’s pearls, the cultured sea pearls known as Akoya pearls are most often regarded as the country’s loveliest pearls. While Akoya pearls are now cultured in other waters(China & Vietnam), it’s the Japanese Akoya pearl that owns the largest market share.
An Akoya pearl with exceptional luster ready to be harvested and used in jewelry. GIA.com
Japanese Akoya pearls are cultivated in bivalve mollusks of the Pinctada genus—specifically Pinctada fucata and Pinctada chemnizti. Today’s producers often incorporate a process of hybridization to achieve the pearl size and luster associated with Japan’s Akoya pearls. During cultivation, according to the , “Only one pearl and maybe an accidental Keshi pearl is harvested from one oyster. This is one reason why sea pearls are usually higher price than freshwater pearls.” Employing the technique known simply as nucleus insertion, the technique discovered more than a hundred years ago by Saville-Kent, Japan has become the undisputed leader of the cultured Akoya pearl industry.The Perfect Strand of Pearls
The perfect strand of pearls... Is it possible?
Perfectly round, beautifully matched, with a mirror like luster – Japanese Akoya pearls can’t be matched for quality and high-end appeal. This is the classic pearl necklace.
From top to bottom, these Japanese saltwater cultured pearls show excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor luster. The differences in the sharpness of the reflections between each adjacent strand are subtle but still noticeable. From GIA.com
Typical sizes of Akoya pearls fall into a range between 6-8 mm, but they may range anywhere between 2-10 mm. Japanese Akoya pearls are famous for their luster which is sometimes described as metallic. The most valuable Akoya pearls are large, highly lustrous, and perfectly round in shape. While usually white in appearance, Akoya pearls may exhibit overtones of pink, cream or silver. Their enchanting appearance is why they have become synonymous with classic Japanese pearls.
