The Use of the Term "Japanese Akoya Pearls"

For the last century Japan has been the undisputed champion producer of Akoya pearls. Japanese Akoya pearls have been known as the hallmark of classic quality and grace. Pearliculture of Akoya pearls only began 100 years ago with the technique used by Kokichi Mikimoto* - the same technique of nucleus insertion used today.

But, as with so many other monopolized industries in the world, the strength of the Japanese in the Akoya pearl industry has finally come to an end. The end has been visible to many over the last half-decade, but only recently has this been recognized and accepted by industry authorities.

With strong supplies of Chinese Akoya pearls pouring into Japan, more than 80% of Japanese Akoya pearl farmers are conducting operations in the red.* This is a trend that cannot continue indefinitely, but there is no clear end in sight with Akoya prices remaining stable.

With the high price of Japanese materials and the low price of Chinese materials, factories in Japan are now increasingly turning to China as their main pearl source. Japanese factories are rapidly becoming the largest customers of many Chinese Akoya pearl farmers. The pearls are imported from China into Japan, processed, and placed on temporary strands, which are then tagged "Made in Japan".

Due to the fact that any given Akoya pearl necklace today almost certainly contains Chinese Akoya pearls, the JCK** has recently announced that the phrase "Japanese Akoya Pearls" is no longer an accurate industry term, and should not be used. The following is an excerpt from the article.

Kokichi Mikimoto* is sometimes said to have almost single-handedly invented the modern cultured pearl industry. Although this is not strictly correct, Mikimoto did play the major role in both developing modern techniques for culturing pearls and convincing the general public to accept those pearls as worthwhile and valuable. Mikimoto was born in Toba City, Japan, in 1858, the eldest son in a family which ran a noodle restaurant. He began raising oysters in 1888, and by the late 1890s he had been awarded a patent on a process for culturing mabes (hemispherical pearls). Over the next 20 years, he continued his research into culturing pearls, culminating with his acquisition of a patent in the early 1900s for culturing spherical pearls. Thereafter, Mikimoto was a tireless advocate of the new culturing techniques and their resulting gems. His efforts opened new markets worldwide for cultured pearls, and essentially created the pearl industry that exists today. For his efforts, Mikimoto received numerous honors and awards from his native Japan. He died in 1954 at the age of 96.

To be continued