Pearls Canada - Pearl Necklace Canada - Select Pearls: FAQ

FAQ - Akoya Saltwater Cultured Pearls

Akoya saltwater cultured pearls are the most popular luxury pearl sold today. They are round and lustrous and are increasing in rarity with each year. In fact, the finest Akoya pearls in the largest sizes are becoming rarer than South Sea pearls.

Our Japanese cultured Akoya pearls 7.0-7.5mm and larger are natural colour, untreated pearls. Only a meagre few of the finest jewellery stores in North America have this quality of pearl available. The vast majority of retail stores only have pearls that have been colour treated in some way.

To illustrate our commitment to quality Select Pearls includes a Pearl Science Laboratory of Japan (PSL) certificate with all of our AAA Japanese 7.0-7.5mm and larger Akoya pearl necklaces, certifying that our AAA pearls meet their highest grade of Hanadama. No other store offers this. We also carry our Hanadama grade which exceeds this standard. For this reason our AA+ quality Akoya pearls are often finer quality than most AAA quality pearls sold anywhere else.

What is the difference between Akoya cultured pearls and Freshwater cultured pearls?

Freshwater pearls are all nacre; they are 'seeded' with a small piece of donor mantle tissue from another mollusk. This dissolves over time as the pearl is cultured. Some Freshwater pearls are cultured with shell beads, like the Akoya, and this would remain as it does with the Akoya pearl. Comparably, the Akoya cultured pearls have very thin nacre which covers the shell bead used to culture it. For example a 7.5mm Akoya pearl was most likely seeded with a shell bead about 6.5mm in size. The best quality Akoya pearls will not achieve more than a 2.0mm nacre thickness, which is rare.

Because of the different culturing processes - mantle tissue versus shell bead - the resulting shape of the Freshwater cultured pearl is off-round or 'visibly-round', whereas the Akoya cultured pearl is perfectly round; a reflection of the round shell bead used in the culturing process.

The Akoya cultured pearl is rarer than the Freshwater cultured pearl; there are about 100 tons of Akoya pearls farmed each year compared to estimates of 1000 to 1500 tons of Freshwater pearls.

Is it worth the extra cost to pay for AAA quality Akoya pearls? Or Hanadama grade pearls?

AAA quality Akoya cultured pearls will have fewer inclusions and a sharper luster than the AA+ quality Akoya. Held side by side there would be a marked difference between the two.

Hanadama grade Akoya pearls are very special in that they are the most rare quality Akoya pearls with exceptional attributes. Hanadama is a grade assigned to AAA quality pearls by the Pearl Science Laboratory (PSL) in Japan. This is done by scientifically measuring the 5 key pearl value factors: luster, shape, nacre, matching, inclusions. You can learn more about Hanadama grade pearls here.

What sizes are available in Akoya saltwater pearls?

Akoya pearls are cultured from seed pearl size, 1mm, and up to the largest 10mm Akoya saltwater cultured pearl; the largest of these being quite rare.

What colours do Akoya pearls naturally come in - are the black Akoya pearls dyed?

Akoya pearls naturally occur with a white body - with an infinite variation of hues, some can appear almost golden or blue in colour. Subtle hues or 'overtones' are also possible, some are naturally occurring some are as a result of the pearls standard processing. Black Akoya pearls are not naturally occurring and have been dyed to make them black. Tahitian and Cortez pearls are the only naturally occurring black pearls.