[National Pearl]

To give support to what has already been said in this thread, here is a quote from the "Akoya" section of the pearl-guide:

"In lieu of farming smaller pearls, many Japanese factories now import their smaller akoya requirements from neighboring China. The pearls are treated and strung in Japan so that they may still carry the mark 'Made in Japan'. It has been reported that more than 80% of the pearls 7mm and smaller have come from Chinese farms regardless of whether or not they are sold by Japanese suppliers."