Our Los Angeles Showroom has literally thousands of pieces of Akoya
jewelry in every shape, size, color and tone available. Many lovers of
pearl jewelry consider Akoya Pearls to be the classic pearl and a staple
in every pearl jewelry collection. Because of their stunning shades and
size, Akoya Pearls are the most popular choice for bridal jewelry. It
is also quite common to give and or receive classic Akoya Pearl strands
for graduations, birthdays or anniversaries. At Seven Seas Pearls, our
showroom is open six days per week and is open to the public. If you are
in the market for a traditional Akoya Pearl strand, studs, earrings,
bracelets or rings, we would love to help you find the perfect piece. On
the premise at all times is a GIA Pearl Graduate. Our passion is
pearls, and we would love to share our passion and help educate you on
these stunning beauties.
If you love the elegance of a classic string of pearls, then you will
fall in love with the beauty of Akoya Pearls. Mistakenly, many people
refer to traditional white pearls as Mikimoto Pearls. The name Mikimoto
describes a brand, but Akoya is a type of pearl. Arguable, Akoya Pearls
are the most popular type of pearl and are farmed in the waters off of
Japan. The tranquil ocean and mild temperatures all attribute to the
beauty of Akoya Pearls.
Similar to other saltwater pearls, Akoya
Pearls come in a striking array of colors. Most common are white, cream
or soft pink. But they also come in gorgeous hues of silver, blue,
black, green, and silver pistachio. While Akoya Pearls can naturally be
darker in color, some have been chemically enhanced. If you are
considering a darker piece of Akoya Pearl jewelry, you will want to ask
if it has been dyed. If an Akoya Pearl has been dyed, the color will not
fade over time but it may impact the price. Typically, Akoya Pearls are
dyed to help conceal imperfections, while these still make for stunning
pieces of jewelry, it is something that is worth being aware of.
The
consistent beautiful round and near round shape of Akoya Pearls is a
result of a farming technique created by biologist William Saville-Kent.
Saville-Kent was the first person to research and develop pearl
cultivation techniques in Australia. Three enterprising Japanese men
(biologist Tokichi Nishikawa, a carpenter Tatsuhei Mise, and son of
noodle shop owner, Kokichi Mikimoto) were the first to apply
Saville-Kent’s techniques in a commercial setting in Ise-Shima, Japan.
Our Seven Seas Pearl office in Japan is located in Ise-Shima - about a
five minute boat ride from the original Mikimoto pearling waters. It is
in these same waters where our own Akoya Pearls are harvested. Our
office in Ise-Shima is where our Akoya Pearls and many of our South Sea
Pearls and Tahitian Pearls are prepared. Here our expert staff sorts
thousands of loose pearls so that strands can be perfectly matched, this
is also where the pearls are calibrated and drilled.
While
baroque is a common shape, due to their overall size, Akoya Pearls are
not as irregular in shape as baroque Tahitian or South Sea Pearls can
be. Akoya Pearls are smaller in size than Tahitian or South Sea Pearls.
Typically, Akoya Pearls range from 2mm all the way to 10mm, however 7mm
and 8mm is the most common size.
If you are unable to visit our Los Angeles Showroom, we invite you
to tour our website. Unique to Seven Seas Pearls is how our pearl
jewelry is displayed. We want you to fall in love with your pearl
jewelry, as a result, the item that you are viewing is the same item
that you will receive. Each piece of pearl jewelry comes with a GIA
Pearl Graduate Certificate and has be inspected by our GIA Pearl
Graduate.
