By Dylan Galaher


When considering cultured pearls, Akoya pearls trump the other types in luster and shine. But when you're not familiar with pearls, you may confused Akoya with freshwater pearls. This is an article that tells the difference between the two.

Introduction

Pearls are one of the very few jewelry pieces, if not the sole jewelry piece, derived from a living organism. A by-product of shelled mollusks, they're prized by many women worldwide mainly because of their sophisticated beauty and timeless elegance. They fall under 3 significant classifications: natural, cultured, and imitation. Plus they are available in different forms, dimensions, shine, and luster, or qualities that often influence their worth.

In the past, there was abundance of natural pearls, or those that grow without the need for human intervention. But as the years went by, oysters making them have become increasingly more difficult to find. Therefore people started to create their very own farms to stimulate the production process, therefore resulting to what we now consider as “cultured pearls.” Of this kind, Akoya is said to have the highest quality.

Different Between Freshwater and Akoya

If you’re preparing on surprising your loved one with an Akoya pearl necklace or pearl earrings, understanding the difference between freshwater and Akoya stops you from purchasing the wrong kind. Right here are the difference between the 2.

1. Luster While both kinds can have outstanding luster, freshwater pearls possess a satin-like and soft shininess. And occasionally, they could have a rainbow brilliancy in them. Akoya, on the other hand, has a much more lustrous surface area that gives the entire piece an extremely shiny and brilliant character. Some would state that Akoya’s luster is nearly mirror-like.

2. Cultivation Much like what the name implies, a freshwater pearl is cultivated in farms that use mainly freshwater. Akoya, however, is produced in the ocean or sea surrounding Japan. To cultivate Akoya, a shell is forced into the oyster, which eventually coats the shell with nacre, a substance that gives the resulting gem its brilliant outer coating or luster. The disadvantage of this technique is that as the the gem ages, the nacre thins out therefore the shell will likely be noticeable. As for freshwater, there are no shells involved, so they are mainly to last for many decades to come.

3. Cost In general, Akoya may cost more than freshwater. This is because the sea can be perilous and capricious. As for freshwater, the environment can be controlled, so freshwater mollusks have the ability to produce more than 1 pearl simultaneously.

4. Shape Akoya has a round shape, while freshwater is often off-round.

5. Colour The colour of pearls rely on the color of the mollusk’s shell. But usually, an Akoya may have a blue and yellow colour, while the freshwater-type is mainly white.




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