Everything You Need To Know About Akoya Pearls

Pearls are à la mode and the demand for pearl jewellery has increased significantly over the last few years, with pearls experiencing a resurgence in runways, high jewellery showcases and social media.

Akoya pearls are the most common type of pearls used in jewellery, thanks to their glimmering lustre and exceptional roundness. While Akoya pearl farms can be found in China, Indonesia and the Philippines, Japan is the biggest producer and supplier of Akoya pearls in the world.

Japan’s Ise Shima region is the birthplace of Akoya pearl cultivation and it remains the hub for pearl farming and jewellery companies such as Singapore and Japan-based Pearl FALCO, which has been nurturing oysters and harvesting pearls for decades. 

Harper’s BAZAAR Singapore spoke to Ise Shima native Maiko Makito, Managing Director of Pearl FALCO and pearl specialist, to get a better understanding of what makes these pearls so desirable, the process of cultivating pearls and how climate change has affected this practice.

AKOYA PEARLS VERSUS FRESHWATER PEARLS

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Akoya pearl oysters are a saltwater species that can only produce one pearl throughout its lifetime unlike freshwater pearl oysters, which can produce dozens in one go. Freshwater pearls are also much duller and are not as symmetrical as Akoya pearls.

These reasons make Akoya pearls the preferred choice for jewellers and why they can fetch top dollar on the market but Makito revealed that not all Akoya pearls are equal.

“The highest grade pearl is like a soap bubble. Even though a pearl has around 1,000 layers of calcium from the core to the surface, light must pass through easily," said Makito while showcasing the most expensive Akoya pearl necklace in the Pearl FALCO boutique, which had an iridescent finish.

She continued: "Pearls that are shinier and more colourful have fine layers that allow light to pass through. If these layers aren’t perfect, they will look cloudy.”

CULTIVATING AKOYA PEARLS

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The cultivation process is also tedious and time-consuming for both the oysters and the farmers. It takes around three to four years for an oyster to reach maturity and the right size to produce a pearl.

The farmers then place a nucleus made of mussel shells into the gonad of the sea creature, which will irritate the oyster and trigger it to excrete calcium carbonate—the same material as the inner part of its shell—to coat the nucleus and protect itself, which takes another year or two to complete. 

“The farmers check on the oysters daily. If we were to just leave them in the ocean, seaweed and sea creatures would grow on them and the oysters might not be able to breathe properly and die. So, we have to take them out of the water to clean them and we might need to change the size of the nets because the oysters will continue to grow,” said Makito.

After years in seawater, the oysters are harvested and opened carefully. The farmers will extract the Akoya pearls to have them sorted and graded before they can be sold. 

Nothing goes to waste at Pearl FALCO—the oyster flesh is eaten, the shells are turned into decorations or fertilisers and pearls that do not meet jewellery standards are crushed into powder and distributed to cosmetic and Chinese medicine companies. 

ENVIRONMENTAL CLIMATE OF ISE SHIMA

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Location is also an important factor when it comes to cultivation and Ise Shima checks all the boxes.

For starters, Makito explained that the many small islands in the peninsula, which extends out into the Pacific Ocean, provide a cool and serene habitat for the oysters to thrive. The trees on these islands also play a part.

“We believe that pearl farming started by the planting of trees as they create plankton for the oysters (to eat) and fertilise the ocean,” said Makito.

Makito also stressed the importance of the four seasons in Japan—spring, summer, fall and winter—as they affect the temperature of the seawater, influencing the growth of the pearls. 

Studies suggest that water at higher temperatures increases the speed at which an oyster can create a pearl but the shape and lustre were not as good as the ones cultivated in colder water. Based on this, the changing seasons are believed to help regulate the growth of the pearls and to ensure their brilliance and roundness.

THE THREAT OF GLOBAL WARMING

Pearl FALCO's latest harvest was far from ideal due to the worsening conditions of the sea and while the team has started a new cycle of oysters, it will be another four to six years before they can retrieve another batch of Akoya pearls that may or may not be suitable for jewellery-making.

This climate issue is too big for one person like Makito to tackle alone and turn the tide. Government support and aid from all over the world are crucial in fixing this big problem for the long haul. In the meantime, Makito holds out hope for the creation of new; more resilient oysters that can withstand harsh environments, which is something biologists are currently working on.

Makito is also actively doing her best to mitigate the effects of climate change through Pearl FALCO's PEARL Plant-A-Tree Project, a crowdfunding initiative that aims to plant more trees and engage in reforestation.

She also believes in empowering the public through pearl appreciation workshops and the Annual Akoya Pearl Grand Prix, a jewellery design competition in Singapore, to raise awareness of pearl farming and encourage more people to join the industry.

“If there are more people, especially the youth, who can appreciate pearls and use pearls; they might also be interested in their cultivation because we don’t just need farmers. We need graders, cleaners, craftsmen and more,” said Makito.

She continued: “I hope more people join the pearl industry because as long as we can harvest something, these gems can continue to exist for generations.”