Akoya pearls are undoubtedly the best known and most pervasive of the family of saltwater cultured pearls. Of course the other main members of the saltwater pearl family are the Tahitian Black Pearls and the South Sea Pearls. The term “Akoya” refers to pearls produced by the Japanese Akoya oyster whose proper name is Pinctada Fucata Martensii. The Akoya are the most famous of all pearl producing oysters and are primarily cultivated in the ocean waters off the coasts of Japan and China. Akoya oysters surrender saltwater pearls that are recognized for their intense luster, beautiful color, and superb roundness. It is still considered that the Akoya are superior to the freshwater pearl and therefore command much higher market values. However, with the strong improvements in farming techniques of the Chinese freshwater industry in the last few decades, some are questioning the unchallenged dominance of the Akoya.

Throughout the history of cultured pearling, started by Mikimoto, Akoya pearls have consistently been the most popular type of pearls for matching together to create beautiful necklaces and bracelets. This is due the exquisite roundness and consistent color that is so common among Akoya pearls. Natural body colors of the Akoya include cream and white. However, natural overtones also include green, yellow and rose. Akoya pearls with rose overtones are by far the most rare and therefore, they are considered the most desirable and valuable.

Unlike freshwater pearls, the Akoya pearls are extraordinarily difficult to culture and this contributes to the powerful allure of this gem and this rarity is responsible for its consistently high market value. The Akoya oyster rarely produces more than two pearls over its life and additionally has a higher mortality rate than that of the freshwater oyster. In the contrary, the freshwater mollusks can be nucleated to harvest upwards of fifty pearls each per nucleation and can survive multiple nucleations. Finally, the Akoya is the smallest member of the pearl producing oysters. Due to the relatively small size of the oyster, true Akoya pearls range in size from only 2 to 11 mm.

The term Akoya used to be synonymous with Japanese Akoya pearls, since until the last few decades, almost the entire world supply of Akoya pearls came from the waters and inlets in the Japan islands. The picture is much different today. Due to pollution issues in the Japanese waters, the supply of Japanese Akoya has been on a steady downturn for many decades. In contrast, the Chinese have been steadily increasing their production efforts of the Akoya pearl.

So in recent years the Chinese have surpassed the Japanese in production of the Akoya pearls so sought after in the world markets. Due to the limited success in the culturing techniques used in the early 90’s, the Chinese Akoya pearls have been considered vastly inferior to their Japanese counterparts. As the Chinese gained experience and more advance technologies were implemented for the implantation process, the Chinese are now producing Akoya pearls with qualities that rival or surpass that of the Japanese. This has resulted in the extinction of the term “Japanese” Akoya pearls in the communities in the know. While many companies do still try to claim that their pearls strands are Japanese Akoyas, it is understood that probably as much as 80% of the pearls were harvested in Chinese waters. Today, “Japanese Akoya” would refer only to where the pearls were processed; meaning where they were polished, bleached, matched and drilled. Hanadama pearls are a special class of Akoya that the Chinese freshwater strives to replicate.

The unrelenting Chinese competition has forced many Japanese pearl farmers to refocus much of their efforts on culturing the larger Akoya pearls, those that are 9 mm or larger. This is due to the fact that quality Akoya pearls larger than 8mm are still to this day a rare occurrence in China. This switch to larger Akoya pearls has so far kept the pearl farm surviving in Japan. However, many feel that when larger pearls start being produced in china, the Japanese hold on the pearl markets worldwide will come to an end. It is just a matter of time.

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