A Brief History of Pearls: Color of Akoya Pearls

COLOR OF AKOYA PEARLS

The Many Colors of Akoya Pearls

Akoya pearls, some of the most beautiful cultured pearls available, naturally come in a beautiful variety of colors. Each color can vary in shade, making these pearls highly desirable all over the world. These exquisite Japanese pearls are beloved not only for their breadth of colors, but also for their perfect roundness, incredible luster and classic, satiny surface. When you're in the market for investment-grade pearls that you can pass on from one generation to the next (and expect them to hold their value), then it's got to be Akoya Japanese pearls.



Akoya Pearl Colors

But, as you might have noticed when shopping for these gorgeous gems, Akoya pearls vary widely in color. While you won't see the exotic colors that some saltwater cultured pearls display, Akoya pearls feature beautifully delicate hues, including:

• Rose
• Silver
• White
• Cream
• Gold
• Blue
• Gray

Some Akoya pearls feature white color with rose overtones or silver overtones, gray with blue overtones, or any number of other combinations.

It takes several months for cultured pearls to develop, and each has its own distinct beauty. Akoya oysters are known for developing extremely high- quality pearls in a beautiful array of colors.

Finding Perfectly Matched Akoya Pearl Colors

In order to find a perfectly matched strand of pearls, sorters must sift through thousands and assign them to specific categories. The sorting process is long and arduous, but in the end, it's worthwhile - that's the only way to get exceptionally matched pearls for a complete jewelry set. Thus, it's quite an incredible feat when you see a pretty Akoya pearl necklace strung with many pearls of a consistent shape, color and luster. Indeed, this makes the piece something to be cherished for a lifetime!