Akoya Japanese Pearls Video of pearl processes in Kobe, Japan
Akoya Japanese Pearls enter the city of Kobe, Japan for processing after being harvested on Japanese pearl farms.
Did you know that to find 47 nearly perfectly matching pearls for a 16" necklace sorters often search 10,000 pearls?
Well matched Akoya pearl necklaces, prized for their uniformity of appearance often become cherished heirlooms, which can be passed down for generations.
Each pearl is unique...just like people, it takes skill and patience to match pearls according to brilliance, size, shape and color.
A big responsibility for quality Akoya peerl necklaces lies with the pearl drillers. One slip can ruin a valuable pearl.
The wholesale pearl market in Japan can exceed $5,000,000,000 per year.
To maintain the akoya Japanese peasrls reputation of quality (Mikimoto set a good example for quality), Japanese pearl export requires each strand of pearls to go through rigorous inspection, before leaving the shores of Japan.
Enjoy this 3 minute, 14 second video that's packed with information about akoya Japanese pearls.