[jshepherd]

Of course! According to the "Japanese Akoya Dealers", the industry they spawned and developed is not equal to their own industry. The view is, use them, abuse the resources, and call the finished product their own.

I, like many Akoya pearl dealers, do not hate the Japanese Akoya industry. On the contrary, I buy a lot of Akoya in Japan, and if it were not for the Japanese industry our Akoya line would end at 7.5mm. What I hate, however, is the deceptive layer of dealers that lie (outright) to the consumer, and overcharge them based on a completely false premise of origin. To me, they are on par with the eBay sellers of Hong Kong.

But, they are failing, and their market share is dropping. Consumers are becoming more and more educated and less apt to fall for such deceitful spins.

Seriously, Akoya dealers! If it is the same pearl, from the same oyster, graded to the same quality, cultured in the same way, how can you honestly claim more value based on the location of the farm. Especially when you cannot, under ANY circumstances, guarantee the origin. ANY dealer that guarantees their pearls are Japanese (only) and charges more for them than market, is doing a disservice to the consumer, and betraying their customers' trust. It is a deceit of omission in the least, and fraud to those who really understand the truth, and know that they are betraying their customers' trust.