Pearls by Angela Carol

Akoya Pearls Are A Beautiful

Akoya pearls are some of the most beautiful pearls in the world.  When some one envisions a beautiful strand of pearls the Akoya pearl is what they will picture.  The beautiful round akoya pearl is a perfect specimen of a pearl and they are valued as such.

An Akoya pearl is a salt water pearl and grows in many places.  The word Akoya is actually the Japanese word for pearl so it is safe to say that Japan is one of those places that an Akoya is grown.  The oysters that the Akoya pearl grows in are found in the Mediterranean Sea, the Persain Gulf, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Caribbean Sea.  These are all places that the oyster can survive.  Japan though seems to be the place where the pearls thrive the most.  Japan has created some of the best Akoya pearls ever found.  Some Akoya pearls have been grown to around 8mm in size in Japan.  This is something very rare since the Akoya pearl is usually any where from around 6mm to 7mm in size and anything over 10mm is almost unheard of. The oysters that the pearls grow in are only 3 inches to 5 inches in size.  Some think the reason for the larger and rounder pearls coming from Japan may be due to the weather in that area of the world.

An Akoya pearl is one of the most valued in the world.  It is not an easy process to grow the pearls.  Only 33% of all the oysters that inserted with soft tissue and a shell bead will actually create a pearl.  The oysters that do not take to the procedure will immediately die after the insertion.  If the procedure does take in the oyster it will eventually grow an Akoya pearl.  Although the procedure took the oyster itself may only give two pearls before it dies.  This makes the process of finding and growing and Akoya pearl harder and therefore it increases the value of the pearl itself.

Once the pearl has been created and retrieved it will be separated and grouped into classes.  These next procedures are based on several things.  The first would be the shape of the pearl.  Next you look at the color, the size, and the luster.  There are several different shapes of pearls.  The most valued would be the round shape.  The next would be semi-round, button, drop, oval, baroque and circled.  Round and semi-round pearls are most often used in a strand for a pearl necklace.  The rest of the shapes are used in different types of jewelry depending on their shapes.  The drop shaped pearls are used a lot in ear rings.  The jewler tries to hide the shape as much as they can so the pearl will actually appear round in the setting for the jewelry.

The Akoya pearl that is grown in Japan will have an almost liquid appearance to it.  The luster on these pearls is amazing, making them most valued.  The basic color of an Akoya pearl is going to be white.  Then there are many overtones that create an illusion of different colors.  The most valued Akoya pearls have a white body with a pink or gray overtone.  One step down from that would be a white or light cream colored body with a pink, gray, or green overtone.  The last category of colors for an Akoya pearl would be a white, medium cream, or medium pink body with a pink, gray or green overtone.

Choosing an Akoya pearl should always be done with the help of an educated jeweler.  They are the best equipped to tell what grade the pearl you are buying is.  For many people who use jewelry as an investment this is important.