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Black Akoya Pearls are also dyed, but the dye most often selected for these pearls turns the pearls a solid blue-black or greenish-black color with little to no iridescence. The pearls are perfectly round in shape, with very little variation from pearl to pearl throughout a strand, so to me can end up looking a little ‘plastic-y’ or more ...
- Saltwater Akoya
Should you buy Freshwater or Akoya pearls? Both are pretty...
- Cultured Pearl Types
COMMON TREATMENTS: Dyed black Freshwater pearls are commonly...
- Saltwater Akoya
- Overview
- Size
- Shape
- Color
- Luster
- Natural flaws
- Nacre
- Origin
- Rarity and value
If you're shopping for pearls or just wondering what type you own, it helps to know the differences between freshwater and Akoya pearls. While these are both beautiful types of cultivated pearls, there are key differences. Keep reading to learn how to tell the difference between freshwater and Akoya pearls by comparing their size, luster, shape, and more!
Akoya and freshwater pearls are both cultured pearls. Akoya pearls come from saltwater oysters, while freshwater pearls come from mussels in rivers and lakes.
Check the size and shape—Akoya pearls are smaller and rounder than freshwater pearls, which tend to be larger and slightly irregular.
Purchase Akoya pearls if you're looking for rare jewelry or heirloom pieces. Freshwater pearls are more budget-friendly and they make great gifts.
Freshwater pearls are almost always larger than Akoya pearls.
Most freshwater pearls range from 3 to 14 mm, although they can reach 50 mm long! Akoya pearls develop much slower, so they don't get nearly as big. Akoya pearls range from 2 to 10 mm in size, but they're usually around 7 or 8 mm.
Akoya pearls are perfectly round, while freshwater pearls are irregular.
Freshwater pearls might appear oval or egg-shaped. Some collectors enjoy searching for unusually shaped freshwater pearls to create unique pieces of jewelery.
Freshwater pearls come in a bigger variety of colors than Akoya pearls.
Most Akoya pearls come in white, cream, or pale neutral tones. Freshwater pearls can come in a wide range of colors like pink, gold, blue-green, peach, purple, gray, white, and cream.
Akoya pearls have a higher luster than freshwater pearls.
Luster refers to light reflection off of pearls. Because Akoya pearls are smaller and perfectly round, they reflect light better than freshwater pearls. Freshwater pearls tend to be duller or a little chalky in appearance.
Surface blemishes are natural, so they don't help you differentiate.
Because freshwater and Akoya pearls are cultured instead of created in a lab, they will have imperfections like tiny bumps or wrinkles. If you see tiny dots or minor imperfections, it doesn't mean you have freshwater pearls instead of Akoya or vice versa.
Freshwater pearls have a very thick nacre, unlike Akoya pearls.
Nacre is the external layer of the pearl. Freshwater pearls are almost entirely made of nacre, while Akoya pearls have a very thin nacre—usually around 1 mm thick. This makes Akoya pearls more delicate than freshwater pearls.
Akoya pearls come from Japan, while most freshwater pearls are from China.
Akoya is the name of the small oyster that Japanese saltwater pearls come from. Although China produces some Akoya pearls, it mainly produces freshwater pearls from mussels found in rivers and lakes.
Akoya pearls are more rare and highly sought after.
This is because Akoya oysters take years to raise rather than months (as freshwater mussels do). Then, it takes another 8 months to 2 years to develop the pearls. Akoya oysters also produce fewer pearls compared to freshwater mussels. Production time, combined with the quality of the pearls, make Akoya pearls much more expensive and valuable.
, consider your motivation. If you're looking for heirloom pieces of jewelry, consider investing in Akoya pearls. If you're buying a friend their first piece of pearl jewelry, you might want freshwater pearls so they can learn how to care for them.
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Dyed black Freshwater pearls look strikingly similar to dyed black Akoya in terms of color, size and luster- the easiest way to tell the two apart is differences in the shape: Akoya pearls are perfectly round, while the Freshwater pearls will feature slight off-round to oval-ish shapes.
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Should you buy Freshwater or Akoya pearls? Both are pretty white pearls, but there are a TON of real differences you should know about first before making a purchase. This short article guides you through the pros and cons of each pearl type to help you make the right decision
Black pearls (Akoya & Freshwater) are quite common, and the product of a color-treatment process, usually dye. The pearls display a Midnight Blue-Black or Midnight Blue and Greenish-Black body color, with little to no iridescence.
Dyed Akoya pearls Black freshwater and Akoya pearls are always dyed, as these never form in nature. The only truly dark pearls on the market are Tahitian and Sea of Cortez pearls (these are extremely rare that you won’t often come across them).
Apr 30, 2023 · Freshwater vs Akoya Pearls: Understanding the Differences in Under a Minute - YouTube. The Pearl Source. 525 subscribers. Subscribed. 24. 6.9K views 10 months ago. **The Pearl Source...
