About the Pearls

Japan Kasumi - Akoya Pearls - Quahog Pearls - Conch Pearls - Abalone Pearls - Scallop Pearls

Japan Kasumi Fresh Water Pearls
From the only current pearl producing lake in Japan

Being a far cry from the white, round near-perfect ideal, Japan Kasumi baroque pearls are appreciated by a minority who choose character over perfection, individuality over uniformity and splendid natural colors over the absence of color.

Japan Kasumi pearls are cultivated in a hybrid freshwater mussel. It is a cross of the Hyriosis cumingii/Hyriopsis schlegelii species. The sizes of the pearls range from 9-13mm, although most are between 10-12mm. The fact that the baroque pearls from this production often have a unique "rippled" surface, has helped to make them a relatively common name to pearl enthusiasts world wide.

Japan Kasumi pearls are not given any treatments after harvesting. They are simply rubbed with salt to clean them, rinsed and prepared for export.

As this is a very small production, we often wonder how many pearls we will be able to offer each year. The lake has had a history of problems with both pollution and naturally occurring amoebic invaders, making the farmers jobs increasingly difficult. These factors add to the price paid per pearl. Again proving their rarity, a strand of our Japan Kasumi pearls was included in the Museum of Natural History: Pearl Exhibit, which has made it's tour around the world since opening in 2001.

We have carried Japan Kasumi pearls since 1995, and due to our enthusiastic customers, we have enjoyed continuing to make strands and educate people about their unique origins. Being as though these pearls are quite rare, and often misunderstood in the market. We offer a packet of literature to anyone who is interested in reading more about Japan Kasumi pearls. Please feel free to contact us and we will send it to you in the mail.

 

Akoya Pearls
Cultured pearls from ocean shells.

Round, smooth, precisely measured and orderly, akoya pearls have the classic look that many find indispensible with business and formal attire. These ocean pearls , cultivated exclusively in-body in small Pinctada species that live in temperate waters, held sway for decades after WW2. Japan exported the technology made famous by K. Mikimoto to Australia, making South Sea pearl cultivation possible, and to China, where it has developed much less rapidly than fresh water cultivation, due to the higher skill levels demanded by in-body bead nucleation.

The valuation of akoya pearls is based on perfectionism and size. The shape is usually prized for faithful adherence to the perfectly spherical shell bead nucleus (generally fresh water mussel shell is used, preferably from the U.S.A.). Cultivated akoya pearls can range from 3.5 to 11mm, although the larger end of this range is rarely round.
Their color, until recently was almost universally desired to be white or white-pink, the least likely color to occur naturally in shells that are creamy yellow to greenish. Akoya pearls can be also be found in naturally occurring colors of blues and silvers. For many decades in Japan it was a law that the color of blue akoya pearls must be "stabilized" (generally with dye) before export, as it was known that these colors had a tendency to fade. More recently it is possible to find akoya pearls dyed every color of the rainbow.
Large pearls tend to have more irregularities, because they need more nacre coating than small pearls to avoid the nucleus showing through.

Most of Japan's shrinking ocean pearl cultivation has been operating in the red for many years. Sizes 7.5 mm and below are hardly cultivated in Japan as demand for these sizes is filled by China's operations. In recent years Vietnam has produced akoya pearls, and
although they can be quite nice quality, it is nearly impossible to tell origin by simply viewing an akoya pearl.

Akoya pearls with adequate to thick nacre coating are a magnificent product that generally retains its beauty through remarkable long use. Such pearls usually have some degree of deviation from the perfect round. Slightly ovoid pearls are known as semi-round, while more irregular pearls are referred to as baroque or semi-baroque. Unfortunately the people responsible for the marketing of akoya pearls did not want to bother with this. Their aim was to establish that there should be only one quality.. " the finest", and that it should be be produced in various sizes to match retail price points. Thus no Japanese farmer had any choice but to make pearls with very thin nacre coating, as that saved costs and largely eliminated the natural irregularities that increase with nacre thickness. Many such pearls, after being subjected to strong bleaching quickly lost all vestige of nacre coating, and reverted to bare mother-of-pearl beads.
Practically all akoya pearls are treated with hydrogen peroxide bleach. This serves two purposes. One is "spot removal", exposure to a mild bleach will clear the pearl's surface of any minor grey spots. The second reason is attempt to acheive a higher price if the pearls appear to be more white than cream, yellow or silver. Because over exposure to bleach shortens the life of any pearl, this treatment method is very rarely disclosed to the customer at a retail level.

Akoya pearls hold a unique place in the jewelry world, known to many as family heirlooms, we are blessed that in this generation they are now accessible to most everyone.

Quahog Pearls
(mercenaria Mercenaria)

Quahog are found on the eastern shore of North America stretching from Rhode Island in the North to Florida in the south. Commercially harvestedfor over a hundred years they continue to be a staple of the easternseafood market. Baked Clams, steamers and chowder are local favorites nomatter where you go.Quahog Pearls like all natural pearls are rare. Exact estimates of theirrarety are impossible but a relative estimate of 5000 clams before findinga pearl is commonly used. Quahog shells showing a deep indentation alongtheir edge often possess a pearl. This can be a tell tale sign oftreasure. Pearls Range in color from white and beige to dark purple andlilac, the later being the most saught after.

Conch Pearls

Conch Pearls are one of the most rare and valuable of all natural pearls. It has been estimated that approximately 10, 000 conch must be harvested before a single pearl is found. An exceptional piece (pearls over 10 carats and exhibiting a strong chatoyant like flame pattern) may take as many as 50, 000.

Fished for food from all over the Caribbean, and Central American oceans, in many of these places conch meat is a staple of the local diet as well as an important export product. Finding a gem quality conch pearl is known amongst fishermen as "the lotto", and high prices are paid for fine pearls, further adding to their allure. Over the last century conch pearls have captured the attention of prestigious designers and jewelers alike. Conch pearls can be found in the world's most exclusive jewelry stores.
Like all pearls, "the Conch Pearl" is produced by a living organism and is sensitive to acids and solvents.

Abalone Pearls

The most colorful of all pearl producing mollusks, Abalone are found in rocky coastal waters around the world. Though fairly plentiful, these rock-hugging snails rarely produce pearls, when they do the cause is usually an inner shell or intestinal disturbance. Most commonly the pearl is started when a small bit of shell or a parasite is perceived as a threat by the abalone and incased in nacre, thus creating a natural pearl.
Due to the anatomy of the mollusk, abalone pearls can take on many unusual shapes. Though occasionally near round or symmetrical, most abalone pearls are baroque, the most common shape resembling a horn or sharks tooth. Pearls of this nature have been known to reach great size, sometimes measuring over five inches in length. Because abalone is a hemophiliac, it is so far impossible to culture and abalone pearl. Many farmers have developed laborious techniques of culturing abalone mabe pearls, these are not to be confused with true natural and wild-found pearls
The value of an abalone pearl is assessed by: color, luster, shape, heft, and size. The ideal pearl is one with a combination of vibrant colors, a smooth mirror like luster, symmetrical shape, and an appropriate heft (not hollow). It is estimated that an abalone pearl possessing these qualities and measuring over 15mm in size, could take over to 100,000 harvested animals to find.
Generally the abalone pearls that we carry are found by divers along the coast of California and Mexico.

The Pacific Lion's Paw, or Mano de Leon, is found in the shallow waters of North and Central America. The outer shell ranges in color from chocolate brown to vibrant orange while the interior varies from pearly white to shades of purple and brown.
Similar to conch pearls, scallop pearls exhibit an unusual phenomenon. When viewed in bright light they exhibit a type of adventuresence (small reflective platelets) that appear to shimmer and dance below the pearls surface. With only a small number found each year these pearls are truly for the collector or custom jeweler.