If you’re an expert in pearls, then most likely you’ve come across some of the finest akoya pearls in the industry.  For those who do not know what these are, akoya pearls are bead-nucleated pearls produced particularly in Asian countries like Japan, China, Vietnam, and South Korea.  Akoya pearls have also been produced in Australia, but countries like Japan and China take the leading roles in its production.To cultivate these pearls you begin with the akoya oyster. The official name of this oyster is the Pinctada fucata martensii.  These are found and farmed in Japan and China and are known for their shine, luster, and great quality.Akoya pearls are often considered the classic pearl. They are the ones that are generally admired in stores. They are usually white with overtones of cream, rose or silver. 

Among all of the cultured pearls being cultivated and sold in the market, it is the akoya pearl that is preferred, sometimes considered the perfect pearl, for jewelry.People love this type of jewelry because of

1) The akoya pearl has a wide size range. It can be as small as 2 millimeters and as large as 11 millimeters.

2) The akoya pearl tends to be consistently round or near-round, making them the ideal pearl to be used in jewelry such as bracelets and necklaces. 

As previously stated, China and Japan are the two top countries that farm akoya pearls and sell them throughout the world.  Japan was at first the major producer of akoya pearls in the world until China overtook her, the latter beginning it’s cultivation in the 1960s.Later, in the late 1980s, China started to dominate the world market by becoming the top producer of cultured akoya pearls in the world.  And because of the increasing competition, Japan pearl farmers have begun concentrating in cultivating actual large akoya pearls since high quality akoya pearls that are sized over 8 mm are very rare in China.

If you are purchasing pearls, remember that the quality is determined by their type, shape, luster, smoothness and size.