Buying Akoya Pearls

(Back to Part 1: About Akoya Pearls)

Always inspect cultured pearls by rotating the entire strand. This will reveal irregularities in shape and help you discover a reflection (moonstone effect) from within the pearl. This occurs when the coating is very thin; such pearls should be excluded from consideration because they are not durable.

Japan’s cultured pearl industry has shrunk considerably over the last several decades and unfortunately now operates in the red. Cultured pearls size 7.5 mm and below are hardly cultivated in Japan as demand for these sizes is filled by China’s operations. In recent years, Vietnam has become a large producer of cultured pearls. Although these pearls may be of good quality, it is nearly impossible to discern origin by merely viewing them with the naked eye.

Akoya pearls with adequate-to-thick nacre coating generally retain their beauty through remarkably long use. Such pearls usually deviate somewhat from a perfectly round shape. Slightly ovoid pearls are known as semi-round, while more irregular pearls are referred to as baroque or semi-baroque. Unfortunately akoya pearl marketers chose not to trumpet this aspect. Their aim instead was to promote only 1 quality:” the finest”, and that the pearls should be produced in various sizes to match retail price points. Thus, no Japanese farmer had any choice but to make pearls with very thin nacre coating, which saved money and largely eliminated natural irregularities that increase with nacre thickness. Many such pearls, after being subjected to strong bleaching, quickly lost all vestige of nacre coating, and reverted to bare mother-of-pearl beads.

Nearly all akoya pearls are treated with hydrogen peroxide bleach. This serves 2 purposes:

1. Spot removal: Exposure to mild bleach will clear the pearl’s surface of any minor grey spots.
2. Whitening: Pearls that appear to be more white than cream, yellow or silver typically fetch a higher price. Because over-exposure to bleach shortens the life of any pearl, this treatment is rarely disclosed to the customer at a retail level.

Akoya pearls hold a unique place in the jewelry world. Formerly known as aristocratic family heirlooms, they are now widely available to nearly everyone.

Browse our akoya pearl jewelry creations.

Back to Part 1: About Akoya Pearls.