Akoya pearls are “The Classic” cultured pearl, this is the classic white pearl most people think of when they picture the perfect pearl necklace or pearl earrings.
Akoya Pearl Fact Sheet:
Akoya pearls have a wide range of price points to accommodate nearly every budget and occasion. From a first-pearls present, to 30th anniversary gift, the classic grace of the Akoya pearl is unmistakable.
Akoya Pearl Jewelry Value Chart
Cultured Akoya pearls were first born in Japan around 1912. The “Father of Cultured Pearls” is Kokichi Mikimoto,the man responsible for bringing cultured Akoya pearls to the world.
The view from an Akoya pearl farm in Japan using floating bamboo rafts and hanging baskets to house the oysters for next year's harvests.
Today, the Akoya pearl is cultured on pearl farms located in Japan, China and Vietnam.
Japan is still known far and wide as the producer of the finest Akoya pearls in the world.
The cold waters of the Pacific Ocean are the Akoya oyster's special secret for how it creates its "mirror-like" luster. The colder temperatures of the water slow down the oyster's metabolism.This causes nacre secreted around the bead nucleus to get packed verytightly together in concentric layers. The moretightly packed these layers are, the brighter and sharper the pearl's luster.
China was a leading producer of smaller-sized Akoya pearls for many years.Chinese farmers focused on sizes ranging from 4 - 7mm, which couldbe harvested and brought to market morequickly than larger pearls. But that situation no longer holds true.After a series of devastating environmental disasters, most farmswere wiped out completely, never to return. Today, very few Akoya pearls are from China.
A smaller segment of the Akoya pearl farming community (but no less impressive) is Vietnam. The saltwater Akoya oysterpinctada fucata martensii, are native to the area and are bred to produce Akoya pearls in rich, unusual colors like blue, grey-blue, gold ... even pistachio green! And they are famous for pearls with very thick nacre, and a gorgeous glow.Vietnamese Akoya pearls are rare collector’s items, and these days can onlybe found at major pearl shows and auctions in Hong Kong.
Among pearl buyers and collectors, the debate rages: Freshwater pearls, or Akoya? Before taking the plunge, here are a few key differences between the two pearl types so you can make your purchase with confidence.
Akoya vs Freshwater Fact Sheet
Shape: Akoya pearls will be perfectly round in all pearl grades, while the vast majority of Freshwater pearls will be slightly off-round to oval and potato shaped.
Luster: Akoya pearls display very sharp and bright luster, even in some of the lower qualities. Freshwater pearls generally feature a softer, more “satiny” luster that tends to be visibly more diffuse around the edges of reflected light sources.
Sizes: Both Akoya and Freshwater pearls feature a very similar size range, but Akoya pearls max out at about 9.5 mm and rarely 9.5- 10.0 mm. Freshwater pearls can reach much larger sizes (especially the newer, bead nucleated varieties, like Edison pearls which regularly reach 15.0 – 16.0mm). For traditionally tissue-nucleated Freshwater pearls, fine quality necklace sizes can reach 11.0-12.0 mm and slightly larger.
Colors: Both pearl types are available in classic white body colors, with traditional overtones of rose, silver and cream. The majority of Freshwater pearls will have cream and rose overtones, and more Akoya pearls will showcase a silver or rose overtone.
Blemishes: Akoya pearl blemishes include subtle white “chalky” spots, flat spots, wrinkling in the nacre and tiny pin prick-like inclusions. Freshwater pearl blemishes are typified by white chalky spots, raised ridges, tiny pin prick patterns and small, streak-like score marks. Both pearl type’s blemishes are very small however, and should only be visible upon close inspection.
Prices: Akoya pearls are traditionally more expensive than Freshwater pearls, and are considered by most pearl buyers to be a “luxury” pearl type. There are a variety of factors that go into this pricing disparity, but the best rule of thumb when shopping for classic white pearl jewelry is that the Akoya will be anywhere from 20-50% more expensive.
The bottom line …
Choose Akoya pearls if you want a “luxury level” white pearl necklace with very bright, highly reflective luster, perfectly round pearls and perfect matching. The somewhat higher price is worth it if those are the pearl necklace features that you just cannot live without.
Choose Freshwater pearls if you are looking for an “entry level” white pearl necklace for a first-pearls purchase, or you want a necklace that can be worn daily without much worry about wear and tear. Freshwater pearl’s lower prices also make experimentation easy and fun – these pearls are perfect for wearing in layers, longer rope pearl necklaces and creating customized jewelry.
Imagine the highest quality, most lustrous Akoya pearls in the world the kind of pearls you can im. That’s exactly what Hanadama pearls are. Known for their dazzling bright luster, rainbow orient and Aurora effect, these are the only Akoya pearls in the world certified by the Pearl Science Laboratory of Tokyo.
Each Hanadama Akoya pearl necklace or pair of pearl earrings comes with its own numbered PSL Certification guaranteeing that these pearls reach the very highest levels of luster, orient and nacre thickness. Certificates specifically test for:
📢 Read More:Hanadama Pearl Buying Guide
Pearls of Joy uses theA – AAA Grading system to grade Akoya pearls. The "A" grade represents the lowest commercial grade. "AAA" grade pearls represent the highest pearl quality available.
The accordion below depicts each pearl grade and a detailed analysis of all grading criteria.
There are 7 “value factors” that jewelers use to assign a monetary value to cultured pearls. There are 5 major factors that comprise a pearl’s place on the A-AAA Grade.
Akoya Pearl Value Factors Are:
Shape: True Round, No Deviation from Perfectly Spherical Shape
Surface Quality: 95-99% Clean to the Eye. 1 Deep Inclusion Allowable for Full Strand.
Luster: Excellent / Mirror-Like. Detailed Reflections Visible in Surfaces
Matching: Near-Perfect to Perfect for Size, Shape, Body Color, Overtone, Surface Quality and Luster
Nacre Thickness: Minimum of 0.4mm Deep on Each Side of Pearl
Shape: True Round, No Deviation from Perfectly Round Shape
Surface Quality: 95-99% Clean to the Eye. 1 Deep Inclusion Allowable for Full Strand.
Luster: Very High to Excellent / Mirror-Like. Mostly Detailed Reflections Visible in Surfaces
Matching: Near-Perfect to Perfect for Size, Shape, Body Color, Overtone, Surface Quality and Luster
Nacre Thickness: Visibly Thick, No Blinking
Shape: True Round, No Deviation from Perfectly Round Shape
Surface Quality: 90-95% Clean to the Eye. 2-3 Deep Inclusions Allowable for Full Strand.
Luster: Very High / Almost Mirror-Like. Slightly Detailed Reflections Visible in Surfaces
Matching: Near-Perfect to Perfect for Size, Shape, Body Color, Overtone, Surface Quality and Luster
Nacre Thickness: Visibly Thick, Very Little to No Blinking
Shape: True Round, No Deviation from Perfectly Round Shape
Surface Quality: 80-85% Clean to the Eye. Deep Inclusions Allowable for Full Strand, Pearls Will Appear Spotted Upon Easy Inspection.
Luster: Good / Blurry Reflections Visible in Surfaces
Matching: Good to Very Good Matching for Size, Shape, Body Color, Overtone, Surface Quality and Luster
Nacre Thickness: Visibly Thin, Some Blinking Can Be Seen on Up-Close Viewing
Shape: True Round, No Deviation from Perfectly Round Shape
Surface Quality: 65-70% Clean to the Eye. Deep Inclusions Allowable for Full Strand, Pearls Will Appear Spotted Upon Easy Inspection.
Luster: Fair to Poor / Some Blurry Reflections Visible in Surfaces. Some Pearls Can Look “Chalky”
Matching: Good Matching for Size, Shape, Body Color, Overtone, Surface Quality and Luster
Nacre Thickness: Visibly Thin, Blinking Can Be Seen on Up-Close Viewing
The Akoya pearl is one of the smaller-sized pearl types available, and is considered to be very versatile. Pearl sizes generally range from tiny 2.5-3.0mm seed pearls to a maximum of 9.5-10.0mm sizes, which are rare.
The most popular size range ranges from 6.0-6.5 mm up through 8.5-9.0mm, with many shoppers considering the 7.0-7.5mm size to be the “sweet spot” for necklaces and earrings for young women and adults.
📢 Read More: Pearl Size Guide
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.
By now, we’re pretty sure you know that Akoya pearls are world-famous for their perfectly round shapes … in the pearl industry, farmers and wholesalers call them “eight way rollers” because they will smoothly roll around in all eight directions evenly and without wobbling.
Perfectly round pearls account for a small fraction of all Akoya pearls at harvest, and are more highly valued than other shapes.
Check out those eight way rollers ... rows and rows of top quality Akoya pearls
Akoya pearls do come in other shapes too. One of the newest pearl crazes are baroque Akoya pearls, which feature heavily textured surfaces and unique, free-form shapes.
While Akoyas are known for that “Classic White” color, these pretty little pearls come in a wider range than ever imagined. Get ready to dive in to a world of color including shades of Blue, Blue-Green, Silver-Blue, shades of warm Gold and Yellow and even Pistachio … all of which are totally natural colors.
Black Akoya pearls are the results of a color-treatment process, typically dye.
The pearls display a very dark, black body color with hints of Midnight Blue and Green-Black overtones that are incredibly attractive, and extremely unif.
Overtones are the term used to describe a second, transparent sheen of color that appears to float over the main body color of the pearl. Jewelers describe it like blush over a woman’s cheek.
There are three common overtones for the White Akoya pearl. These are rose, silver and cream.
White Akoya Pearl Overtone FAQs
Keeping your Akoya pearl jewelry beautiful is easy, but it does require commitment. A few tips you should know about before you buy will help you maintain your pearl jewelry’s integrity, as well as keeping the pearls lustrous and their colors true and vibrant.
Akoya Pearl Care Tips
Last On: this rule is simply make sure that your pearls are the last thing you add to your outfit, after make-up, hairspray and any perfumes. This prevents the pearl from getting exposed to any harsh chemicals, which they’ll absorb (pearls are porous, by the way), and discolors the gems.
First Off: this rule isn’t as hard and fast as Rule #1, but it is #2 because if you always remember to remove your pearls first thing after you are done wearing them, you’ll be more liable to attend to Rule #3 which is …
Wipe Them Down: after every wear, wipe your pearls down with a slightly damp, clean, soft cloth to remove any residues from sweat, oils, chemicals, etc.
Store Them Flat: this goes especially for necklaces, which when hung from a hook will slowly stretch out the silk knots between each pearl. To keep your knot work tight and from fraying, lay your pearl necklace on a flat surface in your jewelry box.
Restring Them: best practices for pearl necklaces include regular maintenance like restringing once a year or two, to keep the silk fresh and the knots nice and tight.
No Swimming, No Showers: besides not wetting the silk and causing massive stretching, chlorine in water can eat away at the adhesive holding pearl earrings, pendants and rings to their mountings. So if you don’t want to lose a pearl down the drain … No Swimming, No Showers.
No Other Harsh Chemical Exposure: don’t try to whiten pearls with hydrogen peroxide, or apply any other chemical bleaches or dyes to your pearls. This can eat away at the nacre layers, or even disintegrate them completely.
And that’s about it. Following these simple rules is guaranteed to keep your new Akoya pearls looking great for decades to come.
Akoya pearls offer modern pearl lovers a huge variety of design options, from timeless classics to new, modern styles scintillating with diamond accents. The slideshow below will guide you through our most popular and beloved jewelry designns.