Akoya Pearls

The Akoya pearl cultivation begins with “microsurgery”: maximum two pearl nuclei and a tiny piece of a yellow shell's mantle tissue are implanted into the fast growing mother-of-pearl. The tiny tissue cells will later produce the nacre, coating the nucleus layer by layer until a perfect Akoya pearl takes shape inside the mother-of-pearl. After this intrusion the oysters are given some time to regenerate themselves after the stress they have experienced. This is why several weeks after the nucleus insertion the oysters are taken back to the sea in big wire baskets. Throughout the whole pearl cultivation period, the quality of conditions in which the oysters are kept is scrupulously monitored, because the deteriorating water quality and the algae might have a serious negative impact on the pearls' growth. It is the nucleus that significantly determines the quality of a seawater pearl. If the nucleus is not well-proportioned, the pearl is not likely to be perfectly round either. Akoya pearls are difficult to grow, which is why they are among the most treasured gems in the world.

After they are harvested, Akoya pearls are graded by their size and quality and drilled. Sometimes they are also bleached and polished. Finally, the closely matching pearls are strung into strands which will be later used for making pearl necklaces or single pieces of jewellery. These pearl strands are also included in our pearl jewellery assortment: so, we can certainly assemble and knot an Akoya pearl necklace at your request. So, perhaps you would like find out more about this possibility and to take a closer look at the Akoya pearls on a strand. By the way, did you know that the word “Akoya” means “mussel” and that the largest pearl breeding farms are located in the South China Sea? For quite a long time the South China Sea was the major Akoya pearl supplier of the Japanese market. Only about 15 years ago the Chinese pearl breeding farms which produce pearls of exceptionally high quality, successfully launched their direct Akoya pearl sales channels. We are proud to inform you that many of the Akoya pearls glowing in the rings, pendants or chains available in our assortment originate from these pearl breeding farms. The value of pearl jewellery is determined by the pearls' size, lustre, colour, sorting grade, as well as by their surface quality. Therefore, when purchasing Akoya pearls, we certainly pay great attention to all the above mentioned criteria. And we would like to offer you only the best Akoya pearls, perfect in every way! hide information