Akoya Pearl Necklace the Finest Quality Pearl JewelryAn Akoya pearl necklace is a fine pearl necklace. These pearls were originally cultivated on Japanese pearl farms as early as the 1920’s. Ever since then, Akoya pearls have become known for their quality. These pearls are cultured, which means that they are grown or farmed. The defining characteristic of an Akoya pearl is that it is grown in a specific type of oyster. These oysters are the smallest oysters used in the cultivation of pearls. As a result the pearls that are produced are usually small. This makes the large ones even more valuable since they are rare.
These pearls where grown almost exclusively in Japan for many years. Unfortunately pollution problems severely impacted production. Over the last 40 – 50 years Akoya pearls have been cultivated in China. They have overtaken the Japanese in over all production. Initially Chinese cultured pearls were felt to be inferior to the Japanese. This is no longer the case. Now Chinese Akoya pearls match the Japanese in quality and luster. It is important to note that many Japanese pearl suppliers buy smaller sized pearls from China. We think this is a testament to the quality of the Chinese Akoya pearls. It also means that you may not want to pay a premium for “Japanese” pearls depending on their size. As mentioned above, because of the size of the oysters that produce Akoyas the pearls tend to be smaller. This means that the larger sizes are the rarest, and the ones that cost the most. Anything 8mm or over in an Akoya pearl is considered a rare find. Be prepared to pay up for a matched set of these larger pearls. Again, we want to emphasize, if you are buying a set of pearls which are less than 8mm in size, buying Chinese can save you a lot of money. You will likely be getting the same pearls no matter who you buy them from. The choice is up to you. Larger Akoya pearls are still almost exclusively Japanese in origin. While there is no standardized international grading system there are several factors which combine to indicate the quality of a pearl. These are: the type of pearl, the thickness of its nacre, how clear and smooth the surface, its luster, its shape, its color, and its size. An Akoya pearl necklace will exhibit the best of all these qualities. A higher quality pearl will have thicker nacre with a clear smooth surface. It will be so lustrous that you can see yourself in the pearl. The more round, the more valuable and as we said above the larger the more valuable a pearl will be. Buying a good grade Akoya pearl necklace is your assurance of quality. Check out the links below for great quality pearls at super prices.
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