Saltwater Pearls: Where Do They Come From?
When you close your eyes and imagine a pearl necklace, what comes to thought? Chances are, it is a perfectly matched strand of round, white and lustrous pearls- and if so, you are thinking of the famous saltwater pearl! Ever since Mikimoto revolutionized the luxurious world of jewelry by commercializing the first cultured saltwater pearls, this beautiful and lustrous gem has captured the imaginations and won the hearts of men and women around the world.
The cultured saltwater pearl craze began in Japan during the 1900’s as the result of several years of conducting trials by three Japanese men: Nishikawa Mikimoto, Tatsuhei Mise and Tokishi Nishikawa. Experimenting individually on alternative nucleation techniques with the Pinctada martensii mussel (the indigenous saltwater oyster that produces Akoya pearls) the researchers each found the surgical nucleation methods that will force the oyster to create a pearl; this is the identical technique used to this very day by nucleation technicians worldwide, known as the Nise-Mishekawa method. However, it was Mikimoto who used his business savvy to market the first cultured pearls worldwide, and sparked a love affair that is still going strong with jewelry lovers everywhere.
For decades, the Japanese maintained a monopoly on the Akoya pearl trade, protecting their cultivation and processing methods jealously. They were- and are- acknowledged as the masters of their trade; to this day the Japanese Akoya pearl is considered the finest pearl in the world. Growth times for the pearls (the amount of time that the oyster was allowed to secrete nacre over the nucleus) were approximately 3-5 years per pearl, promising thick, lustrous nacre layers that gave the pearls their renowned shine. It also made pearls much stronger and able to resist wear on the nacre brought about by exposure to cosmetics, sweat, and perfumes.
However, as with any monopoly, the hey-day would not last forever. In order to satisfy a constant mounting demand for their wonderful pearls- which had quickly staked their place as a staple of every woman’s wardrobe throughout the 1940’s and 50’s- the Japanese began cutting their growth times in order to accomodate the burgeoning market’s requirements, and quality began to decline. Other factors such as water pollution and farmed mussel stocks that have become vulnerable to disease through decreased genetic diversity also play a huge part in the weakening of the Japanese grip on the international Akoya pearl market. With an eye toward the future, the Japanese have started to culture larger pearls measuring over 8.0mm almost exclusively, pinpointing their efforts on maintaining their position as a leader, and the best source for gem-quality Akoya pearls at present.
China began culturing Akoya pearls as well beginning in the 1960’s, although quality was known to be quite inferior to that of their Japanese neighbors. However, over the years the Chinese have quickly gained ground in terms of quality and market share in an industry that was considered to be unshakeable. Concentrating their work on perfecting the little pearl sizes of 4.0mm to 8.0mm- as they have not yet mastered culturing the larger sizes that Japan is renowned for, and utilizing their vastly cheaper production costs than that of Japan, and adopting a smarter, more long-term approach in terms of pearl quality and reputation, China has proved that it is a force to be reckoned with in the pearling circle.
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