Hi David,
You might want to take a look at this thread (if you haven't already) on Akoya vs. Freshwater (and specifically the Freshadama line by Pearl Paradise):
AAA vs AA+ Worth the extra money?
Both types are cultured. But Akoya have a bead inside, which leads to certain durability issues. (I have seen this firsthand: I have a necklace I purchased about 20 years ago from a very reputable jeweler and I recently discovered that it is now worn down to the bead in some places.)
Fortunately, I read about the Freshadama alternative here on this forum. Zeide and others have posted extensively on the merits of Chinese freshwater pearls. Another pearl expert, Fred Ward, has remarked that "[a] great irony of pearl history is that the least expensive cultured pearl product in the market today rivals the quality of the most expensive natural pearls ever found. The price-value anomaly is obvious to consumers as they hasten to buy Chinese freshwater bargains. Indeed, pearls from freshwater mussels lie at the center of the liveliest activity in pearling today."
I recently purchased two Freshadama necklaces, a 9-10 mm and an 8-9 mm triple strand, and they are beautiful. I have only the highest praise for Jeremy Shepherd and his staff at PearlParadise.com. The quality is excellent and the customer service superb! You might want to give them a try. I've heard that it can be rather dicey on Ebay!
Good luck in your search!
Perle