10KT YELLOW GOLD AKOYA CULTURED PEARL SOLITAIRE STUD EARRINGS

AKOYA CULTURED PEARLS

Akoya Cultured Pearls are farmed in the ocean waters around the countries of Japan and China. In Japan the main culturing areas are near Ehime, Kumamoto, and Nagasaki. In China, the main culturing areas are Hainan Island, Chenghai Guangdong, and Liusha Zhangjiang. Liusha is known in China as The Country of Akoya Pearls. The Akoya oyster Pinctada Fucata Martensii is the smallest pearl-producing oyster. The cultured pearl is produced by inserting a nuclei and a small piece of mantle tissue into the oyster. Akoya pearls tend to range in size from about 4 to 8 millimeters and consistently are round and or near-round. 

The Akoya pearl takes from two to three years to form.

Akoya pearls are the pearls most often used in necklaces. They are generally white or cream colored, and have overtones of rose, pink, cream, and/or green. The development of the modern pearl culturing technique is due to the work of one man, Kokichi Mikimoto who began work on this idea in the late 19th century. The Japanese Akoya cultured pearl became the first pearl to be cultured in a steady reliable production.