Bring Home an Akoya Pearl Necklace

For years, Kokichi Mikimoto of Japan was fascinated with the way the Akoya Pearl oyster created a flawless gem within its depths. A natural reaction to danger, the oyster releases continuous layers of silky nacre, common to mollusks, and covers the offensive object within it. This hardens to form a pearl.

Mikimoto decided to give Nature a slight push and began to culture these pearls. His painstaking work resulted in the world’s first cultured, spherical Akoya Pearl in 1905. Since then these Japanese pearls have been a symbol of all that is elegant and beautiful.

Know your Akoya Pearls

A strand of pearls remains a classic style statement. Its versatility lies in its ability to be paired with just about anything, from evening gowns to denim. The Akoya oyster produces the world’s smallest pearls, with sizes ranging between 3mm to 10mm. considering their near perfect spherical shape, they are ideal to string together to create the much in demand Akoya pearl necklace.

Akoya pearls are created in a range of colors from white, with a few hints of silver and rose, to black, which comes with traces of blue, green and even purple, mixed in. A jet black pearl is a rarity. The pearl with a cream undertone is by far the most common of all and makes for the perfect necklace for all occasions. There is also the gold pearl with hints of white or cream tones that coax the gold sheen to come to the surface.

Adding an Akoya Pearl Necklace to Your Collection

Akoya pearls are judged on the basis of color, luster, surface quality, nacre quality and uniformity in size and shape. Most people like to start with the smallest of pearls and then work their way up in terms of size with every subsequent purchase.

The luster of these pearls is considered to be the best. One’s own reflections appear distinctly and brightly when gazing into them. You still have a good set of pearls on hand if the reflections are bright, but are a little less distinctive. Average pearls display images that are weak or even blurred, and are not bright at all.

When examining the surface, consider yourself one of the lucky few if you find a pearl with absolutely no blemish on it; the lower the number of blemishes on the pearl, the better the quality. Pearls can have scratches, dents or pits in them that form naturally. Their reflection may have dull spots and the nacre may have some wrinkles over it. The extent of these blemishes determines the quality of the pearl.

The quality of the nacre is also examined and is deemed acceptable when there is no chalkiness on the pearl, and when its nucleus is not visible. Anything short of these standards lowers the value of the gem. The shape of your Akoya pearl must be as close to regular as possible for it to be deemed of good quality. They are available in the form of drops and ovals, but value can be precise only in the case of perfectly spherical pearls.

The most common size in an Akoya pearl necklace are 7 to 7.5 mm pearls. They make a remarkable addition to your jewelry collection and the perfect gift for all occasions. You can visit our store at LagunaPearl.Com to checkout our collection.

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