The facts
What akoya Cultured Pearl actually is
Akoya Cultured Pearl is classified as bead-nucleated cultured pearl from Pinctada fucata martensii, with the composition Aragonite nacre over a freshwater shell bead nucleus. It crystallises in the aggregate (orthorhombic aragonite) system.
Colour comes from conchiolin plus nacre interference; rose and cream overtones, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.52-1.69. Specific gravity around 2.72-2.78. Cleavage: none. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where akoya Cultured Pearl comes from
Akoya Cultured Pearl is produced at Ise-Shima and Ago Bay, Mie Prefecture, Japan, Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture, Japan and Kyushu, Japan; also Guangxi and Hainan, China; Vietnam.
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
How akoya Cultured Pearl is treated
Treatment is the norm, not the exception: maeshori pre-treatment, bleaching, and 'pinking' are applied to virtually all commercial akoya and are accepted trade practice. Blue, grey and black akoya are almost always irradiated or dyed - genuine natural-colour blue akoya exists but is rare and needs a report. Nacre thickness is the real quality variable and is frequently thin (under 0.3 mm). No CITES.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What akoya Cultured Pearl is confused with
In the trade akoya Cultured Pearl is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Chinese freshwater bead-nucleated pearls (Edison type), Imitation Majorica and shell-based pearls or Dyed freshwater pearls.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.52-1.69 and specific gravity 2.72-2.78 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What akoya Cultured Pearl is used for
Demand for akoya Cultured Pearl comes from jewellery, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the carat.
Durability and care
Akoya Cultured Pearl is 2.5-4 on the Mohs scale, with none cleavage.
Below about 5.5 a stone will be scratched by ordinary household dust, which is largely quartz. That does not make it unusable — it makes it a pendant, an earring or an object rather than a ring worn every day.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What akoya Cultured Pearl costs
As a guide, akoya Cultured Pearl trades around $150-2,000 for a 7-7.5 mm strand; fine Japanese Hanadama strands $2,000-12,000.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is akoya Cultured Pearl treated, and how?
Treatment is the norm, not the exception: maeshori pre-treatment, bleaching, and 'pinking' are applied to virtually all commercial akoya and are accepted trade practice. Blue, grey and black akoya are almost always irradiated or dyed - genuine natural-colour blue akoya exists but is rare and needs a report. Nacre thickness is the real quality variable and is frequently thin (under 0.3 mm). No CITES.
Where does akoya Cultured Pearl come from?
Ise-Shima and Ago Bay, Mie Prefecture, Japan, Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture, Japan and Kyushu, Japan; also Guangxi and Hainan, China; Vietnam. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is akoya Cultured Pearl hard enough to wear every day?
Not really. At 2.5-4 on the Mohs scale it is softer than the quartz dust in ordinary household dirt, so it scratches with wear. It suits pendants, earrings and objects better than a daily ring.
How much does akoya Cultured Pearl cost?
Indicatively $150-2,000 for a 7-7.5 mm strand; fine Japanese Hanadama strands $2,000-12,000. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is akoya Cultured Pearl confused with?
Most often Chinese freshwater bead-nucleated pearls (Edison type), Imitation Majorica and shell-based pearls and Dyed freshwater pearls. A refractive index of 1.52-1.69 and a specific gravity near 2.72-2.78 separate it quickly.
Related stones
Looking for akoya cultured pearl?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about akoya cultured pearl