Akoya Pearls

Akoya pearls are by far the most common and popular type of pearl in the jewelry market today. Due to their classic white look, impeccable luster, and relatively inexpensive price point, Akoya Pearls have become the dominant type of pearls worn today. The versatility of akoya pearls is also important since they can work on an everyday basis, as well as for that special occasion. Laguna Pearl prides itself for offering every size, shape, and type of akoya pearl imaginable. In our akoya pearl necklace collection, Laguna Pearl offers sizes starting at 4.0 millimeters all the way up to 10.0 millimeters in akoya pearls.

Furthermore, Laguna Pearl has one of the largest collections of Hanadama Pearls on the internet. Hanadama Pearls are considered to be the highest quality pearls available out of pearl farms of Japan and each Hanadama akoya pearl strand comes with a certificate from the Japan science laboratory ensuring the quality of each pearl on the strand. Not only do we offer Hanadama quality akoya pearl necklaces, Laguna Pearl is one of the ONLY websites that offers certified Hanadama akoya pearl bracelets and hanadama akoya pearl earrings as well. Therefore, our customers have the ability to purchase an entire pearl set of the highest quality akoya pearls in the world. Please feel free to speak to one of our pearl experts if you would like to find out more information about our Japanese akoya pearls and hanadama pearl collections.

Akoya Pearl Price

When buying Akoya Pearls you want to get the best price possible for the highest quality pearls. You want to make sure that the pearls are the right size, shape and color to your preference. You also want to make sure that you do the right research so that you get the best pearl necklace for your needs. To help you make this decision we will take a look at several pearl necklaces and their prices.

If you are on a tight budget, one great option is a 5.0 to 5.5mm Akoya White Pearl Necklace. At Laguna Pearl you can get this necklace at AA+ quality. Of course, quality is extremely important and the AA+ quality makes for gorgeous pearls. At Laguna pearl you can find this necklace for only $189. You can compare this with the retail price of $529. The 5.0 to 5.5mm Akoya White Pearl Necklace from Laguna pearl is made from pearls that have been imported from Japan. It comes in an lovely gift box. The length of the necklace can even be customized, although it comes in a standard 18 inch length.

If you prefer a longer necklace, the choice that may appeal to you is the 6.0 to 6.5 mm Opera length Japanese Akoya Pearl Necklace. This is another beautiful choice of a necklace. Again the pearls on this necklace are also AA+ quality if you purchase the necklace at Laguna Pearl. Laguna Pearl has very strict standards that they apply to allow pearls in their necklaces. For this particular Laguna Pearl necklace, all of the pearls are round and on a 36 inch necklace. While at many retail stores you could find this necklace for around $1,299, at Laguna Pearl the Akoya Pearl price is unbelievable. You can get this Akoya Pearl for only $439.

Another great classic choice is the 7.5 to 8.0mm Double Strand white Akoya Pearl Necklace AAA quality. This necklace is elegant and regal looking. The luster on this necklace is very shiny and completely exceptional. If you are wondering where the pearls on this necklace come from, they are imported directly from the waters of Japan. At Laguna pearl the length of the necklace is 16-17 inches in length. This necklace costs almost $9000 at most pearl stores, however at Laguna Pearl you can buy this necklace for only $2,499. This is an excellent steal for a gorgeous high quality necklace.

For something a little different you could choose an Akoya Pearl Pendant. You could get a plain Akoya Pearl Pendant or one this is adorned with diamonds. One stunning option is the beautiful heart shaped pendant with a AA+ quality pearl in the center. The pendent is made of 18K gold and makes a heart around a 8.5-9mm Akoya Pearl. While at most Pearl jewelers a necklace of this caliber would cost about $1500, at Laguna Pearl this necklace would only cost $599. Laguna Pearl offers amazing jewelry at affordable prices. They are experts in Pearl Jewerly and will help you find the perfect pearl jewelry item for your needs.

Akoya Pearl Necklace Set

If you are looking for an Akoya Pearl necklace set, Laguna Pearl is a great place to shop because they offer an amazing selection at terrific affordable prices. You can find great Akoya Pearl necklaces and Akoya Pearl necklace sets at Laguna Pearl. If you have a special occasion to attend you will be able to find the perfect piece of jewelry to complete your outfit at Laguna Pearl.

The Akoya Pearl used in necklaces is formed in the Pinctada Fucata oyster. This oyster is often found in Japan and is grown through pearl culturing which aids the pearl development process. The whole growth process generally takes about 10 months to 18 months once the pearl is nucleated to get to the point to be ready to be used in jewelry. The pearl culturing process is very delicate and complicated. As a result a very small percentage of cultured pearls actually are considered to be of the highest quality.

Laguna Pearl has many beautiful options for necklace sets. When considering a necklace set it is important to know what the key determining quality factors are. The factors are luster, surface, shape, color, and size. It is also important to be familiar with the pearl grading systems. In the instance of the Akoya Pearl, the A-AAA system is usually employed. One of the main things to look at when judging a pearl is luster. Pearls that are shiny as opposed to dull are considered to have a high luster. Another important thing to look at is the amount of flaws on the surface of the pearl. Pearl is the most defects have a low surface rating.

When choosing a pearl necklace another thing to look at is the pearl's shape. Depending on the type of necklace set you are getting, you may want pearls of a certain shape. For instance if you are getting a necklace that is a strand of pearls you will probably want round pearls for your necklace. If you are getting a pearl necklace pendant you may want another shape such as semi-round, drop, or baroque. Another choice you can make when choosing an akoya pearl necklace set is the color of the pearls that you want for your necklace set. Some of the options are pink, silver, crème and yellow. There is still yet another decision to be made. This decision is the size of the pearl/s on your necklace. Do you want large pearls or smaller pearls?

Each of the factors previously discussed will affect the price of your options. Of course, the higher graded pearls will be more expensive. Round pearls are also generally more expensive than other shapes. At Laguna Pearl you will not believe the beautiful selection of affordable pearl necklaces. You can save big on amazing quality Akoya Pearl necklace sets at Laguna Pearl and find a gift that is just right! You can find the perfect necklace set to complete your outfit and make you stand out from the crowd.

Akoya Pearl Necklace AAA

One way to look at the quality of an Akoya pearl is to rate it based on the AAA-A system. This is a system to grade the pearl in several different areas and let consumers know what type of pearl they are getting.

The A-AAA grading system is not the only pearl grading system. It is not to be confused with another rating system which grades pearls from A-D. To best understand what type of pearl you are purchasing, it is important to be familiar with the two grading systems and what each letter indicates in the grading systems.

The A-AAA system is a very frequently used for judging the quality of Akoya pearls and freshwater pearls. In this particular system unlike the A-D system, A represents the lowest grade of pearl. On the other hand AAA is used to signify the best quality of pearl. An AAA pearl will be an almost perfect pearl with a lot of luster and almost defect free. Most pearls have at least some small defect so in this case the pearl would be 95% defect free. The AA grade in next in order and the second highest quality pearl. This pearl would be around 75% defect free. It is a very high quality pearl but slightly less quality that the AAA. As mentioned earlier, the A is the lowest quality rating in the A-AAA system. A pearl with an A rating will have little luster, and lots of defects. A + sign is also used in this grading system to represent pearls that are in between qualities. For instance A+ and AA+ are both grading that use the + to indicate their quality.

The A-D system is not used to grade Akoya Pearls quite as much, but rather is usually used when grading Tahitian Pearls and South Sea Pearls. The A-D system is also known as the "Tahitian System." In this system the highest quality pearl is graded oppositely to that of the A-AAA system. For instance, an A pearl is the highest quality pearl with less than 10% of the pearl's surface covered with defects. Subsequently, the rating would follow as B, C, and D with the lowest score for the pearl. In a D rated pearl about 60% or more of the surface is covered with imperfections. D rated pearls are not usually used in jewelry.

It is important to understand these systems when buying pearl jewelry. With a basic understanding of these systems, you will have a better idea of what you are getting when a pearl is described using the different rating systems. Make sure to ask which grading system is being used so that you don't get confused if a pearl has an A rating. An A rating in the A-D system means something very different than an A rating in the AAA-A system.

If you are looking for Akoya pearl jewelry, you can find an amazing selection of AAA Pearl necklaces at Laguna Pearl. Laguna Pearl offers stunning high quality Akoya Pearls at affordable prices that can't be beat.

What are Akoya Pearls?

Akoya Pearls are pearls that come from the Pinctada fucata oyster. Generally, these types of oysters come from Japan. Another type of oyster whose pearls are also considered to be Akoya pearls are Pinctada chemnizti. Today Akoya pearls are mainly cultured in China and Japan. Akoya pearls are also grown in South Korea, Vietnam and even Australia.

The main producer of Akoya pearls is Japan. Japanese Akoya pearls are the classic Akoya Pearls. The technique used to culture pearls was developed by William Saville-Kent and Kokichi Mikimoto. This technique was discovered around a century ago, but is still used today. /p>

The akoya oyster is a small oyster so the pearls from this oyster tend to be between 2 to 11 millimeters. In addition, the pearls produced from the akoya oyster tend to be round which is highly desirable in pearl jewelry.

Some of the highest quality pearls are known as Hanadama akoya pearls. These pearls are considered the highest quality and valuable pearls from a harvest. The meaning in Japanese of the word Hanadama is spherical flower. Kockichi Mikimoto gave the name Hanadama to the pearls to describe this high quality crop of pearls. One thing that is noteworthy when discussing Hanadama is that Hanadama is literally the best a pearl can be. These pearls are as close to perfect as possible and there is nothing better than Hanadama.

The Pearl Science Laboratory located in Tokyo determines whether or not a strand of pearls is Hanadama. To do this they conduct several tests on random pearls in a strand. Some things that are checked are the nacre quality and the luster of the pearls.

Here is the criteria that the grading must follow to qualify to be Hanadama: The nacre depth must not be less than .40 mm. The luster analysis must be extremely strong. The can only be very slight imperfections. If you want to purchase the finest pearls you should purchase the Akoya Hanadama Certified pearls.

There are several colors that you can find for akoya pearls. Usually the most expensive of the akoya pearls are a pink color. Akoya pearls can also be found in a white, various shades of creams and yellow. The overtones of the pearl will also affect its color and its value. Color is also a personal preference when it comes to jewelry and a matter of taste.

At Laguna Pearl you can find great high quality Akoya pearls at very reasonable prices. Whether you are looking for a gift for yourself or someone special you will find the perfect Akoya jewelry for your needs at Laguna Pearl. From necklaces, earrings, rings, and bracelets, you will be able to find a wonderful piece of pearl jewelry or jewelry set at Laguna Pearl. Akoya pearls have been enjoyed for centuries. They have been worn by both royalty and celebrities. Continue the tradition of wearing this special jewelry item with a gorgeous jewelry item from Laguna Pearl! You can't go wrong with Akoya Pearl jewelry.

Akoya pearls vs. freshwater pearls

If you are wondering whether to purchase a freshwater pearl or an Akoya pearl consider this:

What is different between the freshwater pearl and the Akoya pearl? A freshwater pearl usually comes from a mussel, while the Akoya Pearl generally comes from an oyster. While both pearls are cultured, there is a difference in the culturing process. Freshwater pearls are mantle-tissue nucleated, while Akoya pearls are bead nucleated. This means that a little fragment of mantle tissue is inserted into the mantle tissue of a freshwater mussel for freshwater pearls. In the case of Akoya Pearls which are saltwater pearls, a mother-of-pearl bead and small piece of mantle tissue are placed into the gonad of the oyster. Freshwater pearls are made up of mostly nacre, while Akoya pearls contain about .1 to 2 mm. As a result the shape and the value of the pearl may differ.

Akoya pearls are a lot more difficult to farm as well. Their success rate is significantly lower than freshwater pearls, however they are more valuable and they are usually of higher quality. Since round pearls are considered the most valuable this is one reason why the traits of Akoya pearls are preferred. Akoya pearls are usually round whereas freshwater pearls are not as commonly round. Akoya pearls also generally have a greater luster. The combination of these traits and the rarity of Akoya pearls makes them more popular and more valuable.

Freshwater pearls do have their draw though because they come in a wider variety of colors. This is achieved by adding small amounts of metals to the water where the pearls are farmed. In the 1980s, the short amount of time that was put into many of the freshwater pearls yielding many low quality pearls. However, more recently farmers have changing their techniques to let their pearls stay in the water for a longer amount of time, thus resulting in better pearls that are larger and of higher quality. With recent improvement in technique, freshwater pearls have improved enough so that there are freshwater pearls that are pretty comparable to saltwater pearls. However, there are still many low quality freshwater pearls which dilute the overall reputation of freshwater pearls. While there are low quality saltwater pearls, the Akoya market is regulated so that these pearls do not enter the market, and as a result the excellent reputation of Akoya pearls is maintained. It is important to evaluate the individual pearls to determine the quality. The benefit of a good freshwater pearl is that you can find a high quality one for a more inexpensive price.

At Laguna Pearl you will be able to find a wide variety of both freshwater pearls and Akoya pearls. Choose from many different jewelry styles and price ranges to find the pearl gift that is perfect for you!