Designer Jewelry Experts

Pearls have been a jewelry staple for centuries. In fact, they were one of the first natural gems ever to be discovered. Their simplicity and classic beauty has led to their consistent popularity throughout the years. Pearls themselves form naturally inside of oysters. In the beginning of the 1900’s a way was discovered by which pearls, specifically akoya pearls, could be predictably harvested. Over time, cultured akoya pearls became known for their superior beauty and luster.

All pearls whether cultured or occurring naturally, form in the exact same way within an oyster. A small grain of sand or small parasite, when introduced within the shell of an oyster, will cause a small cyst to form. The oyster then responds by secreting a substance know as nacre that builds up slowly within the cyst. This milky white substance is extremely hard and comprises the actual pearl itself.

Before pearl farming began, pearls were discovered merely by chance. In the 1900’s however, a gentleman by the name of Kokichi Mikimoto changed all that. Mr. Mikimoto created a method of pearl culturing which predictably forced the creation of a pearl within the actual oyster itself.

After many years of experimentation, Mr. Mikimoto discovered and patented his technique for creating a perfectly round pearl. His process involved the opening of a live oyster and strategically placing a small round piece of mussel shell with the oyster’s body. This process is called nucleation. Once the insertion of the piece of shell is complete, the live oyster is then placed back in the ocean to continue to grow.

The culturing process was perfected over time. During this process, it was discovered that the akoya oyster was specially suited for pearl harvesting. The resulting pearls produced were well know for their high quality and lustrous finish. The natural habitat of these oysters is primarily around the southern coast of Japan. Pearl farmers now raise this species within hatcheries so that they can carefully control and monitor the conditions, creating the best possible environment for the oyster to thrive.

From start to finish, the pearl cultivation process takes anywhere between 10 to 18 months. Oysters are very fragile creatures though, and many of them do not even make it past the nucleation process. For this reason, pearl cultivation can be very unpredictable.

Akoya pearls are believed to have the highest luster and quality of all cultured pearls. Cooler ocean temperatures off the coast of Japan where these oysters are primarily found are often 10 to 15 degrees cooler than other locations where pearls are farmed and cultured. It is thought that these cooler temperatures cause the oyster to secrete the nacre coating more slowly which forms a harder more compact pearl. The compact structure allows more light to reflect off its surface resulting in a more beautiful and lustrous finish.

Almost all of the pearls on the market now are of the cultured variety. Given the natural beauty and quality of these pearls, it is easy to see why they have become such a popular choice.

Get exclusive inside info on the beauty and history of Akoya Pearl Pendants now in our complete online overview of exquisite akoya pearl necklaces .