A Short History Of Akoya Pearls And Why We Love Them
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.
Wild naturally occurring pearls, and cultured pearls are actually formed in the very same way. A pearl will be produced within an oyster, if a small object such as a grain of sand becomes entrapped within its shell. The oyster responds by forming a small cyst around this foreign object. The cyst in then slowly filled with a milky white substance know as nacre. Over time, the nacre forms smooth layers which become 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.
It took Mr. Mikimoto many years, but he finally perfected a technique for creating a perfectly round pearl. A live oyster would be carefully opened and a small round piece of shell would be placed within the body of the oyster itself. Once this nucleation process was completed, the oyster would then be placed back in the sea for a period of time while the pearl formed.
Over time the process was perfected. A species of oyster called the akoya oyster was discovered to be ideally suited for pearl cultivation because of the subsequent quality of the pearls they produce. These oysters are found primarily around the southern half of Japan. In order to ensure the purity of the pearls themselves, these oysters are now bred on hatcheries where the conditions can be more carefully monitored and controlled.
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.
Many believe that the akoya pearls have the highest luster of all cultured pearls. It is thought that this is due to the climate of the area where most of these beautiful gems are produced. The waters off the coast of Japan where these oysters grow are 10 to 15 degrees cooler than other pearl producing locations. These cooler temperatures may cause the nacre coating to be secreted more slowly forming a more compact gem structure. The resulting pearl is thus more reflective and lustrous.
Only 1 percent of pearls sold today are found naturally occurring in the wild. The other 99 percent sold are cultured varieties. When presented with a beautiful, quality cultured pearl, it is easy to see why these gems have become so popular.
Wild naturally occurring pearls, and cultured pearls are actually formed in the very same way. A pearl will be produced within an oyster, if a small object such as a grain of sand becomes entrapped within its shell. The oyster responds by forming a small cyst around this foreign object. The cyst in then slowly filled with a milky white substance know as nacre. Over time, the nacre forms smooth layers which become 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.
It took Mr. Mikimoto many years, but he finally perfected a technique for creating a perfectly round pearl. A live oyster would be carefully opened and a small round piece of shell would be placed within the body of the oyster itself. Once this nucleation process was completed, the oyster would then be placed back in the sea for a period of time while the pearl formed.
Over time the process was perfected. A species of oyster called the akoya oyster was discovered to be ideally suited for pearl cultivation because of the subsequent quality of the pearls they produce. These oysters are found primarily around the southern half of Japan. In order to ensure the purity of the pearls themselves, these oysters are now bred on hatcheries where the conditions can be more carefully monitored and controlled.
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.
Many believe that the akoya pearls have the highest luster of all cultured pearls. It is thought that this is due to the climate of the area where most of these beautiful gems are produced. The waters off the coast of Japan where these oysters grow are 10 to 15 degrees cooler than other pearl producing locations. These cooler temperatures may cause the nacre coating to be secreted more slowly forming a more compact gem structure. The resulting pearl is thus more reflective and lustrous.
Only 1 percent of pearls sold today are found naturally occurring in the wild. The other 99 percent sold are cultured varieties. When presented with a beautiful, quality cultured pearl, it is easy to see why these gems have become so popular.
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