AKOYA PEARL PROCESSING

The exacting procedure of sorting cultured pearls is especially time-consuming with Akoya pearls. One reason is: there are so many pearls to sort through. Another is that Japanese matching requirements are generally stricter than those for other pearl types. In fact, Akoya cultured pearl producers seek nearly perfect matches among their pearls. Such high matching standards result in 90 percent of all Akoya pearls harvested to be lightly bleached and tinted after drilling. These color enhancements are intended to be permanent, and should not change over time.