[Ngoc]

I am not sure what to buy. My jeweler says if I buy the Japanese pearls I have better pearls but that Chinese are not so good. But when I see the Japanese pearls sometimes I think they look the same and sometimes I liek the Chinese pearls more. Why is Japanese better if I can't see a different?

[jshepherd]

When making a purchase decision this is definitely a question that will come up when selecting Akoya pearls. But to make that choice easier we should look at the facts:
Chinese Akoya pearls are cultured in the Pinctada Fucata Oyster - just as the Japanese.
Chinese pearl farmers use nucleation beads sourced from mollusks from the Mississippi River Delta - Just as the Japanese.
So what it comes down to is that for all purposes they are basically the exact same thing. Why then, such a difference in price?
The Japanese pearl companies carry an extreme amount of overhead. The cost of labor is very high, as is the cost of land and supplies. A Chinese pearl farmer, on the other hand, can set up an Akoya pearl farm for as little as $10,000 US.
Because of this the Japanese pearl market has been in a steady decline for many years. Less than a decade ago the Japanese still had a strong hold, as their Chinese counterparts were not able to produce quality similar to that of the Japanese. In the past 4-5 years, however, this has all changed. The Chinese are now producing Akoya pearls that easily rival those of the Japanese in sizes ranging up to 7.5mm. Larger sizes are produced, but have not yet been produced in high quantity or quality. These larger sizes are the only things keeping the Japanese pearl farming economy alive today.

A small known fact, as reported in the Pearl World International Pearling Journal 1st quarter edition, is that if you are buying a 'Japanese' strand, most likely the majority of the strand was cultured in China.
Today, Japan is the leading importer of Chinese cultured Akoya pearls. Many of these Japanese companies own factories and farms in China as well - I have personally visited several. The pearls are harvested, temporarily strung, and imported to Japan, where they are further processed and then tagged 'MADE IN JAPAN'.
An editor reported in the same Pearl World Edition that pearls available from Japanese companies at the Tucson Trade Show were, on average, nearly 80% comprised of Chinese pearls.

So does it matter where the pearls were produced? Ask me 7-8 years ago I would say absolutely it does. But does it today? Absolutely not! Unless you are looking for quality Akoya pearls 8mm-10mm in size chances are some if not all the pearls in the Japanese strand of your choice will be Chinese.

I personally source all of our pearls smaller than 8mm in China. I also have very close relationships with Japanese suppliers located in Japan. They import their smaller pearls from the same Chinese farms I do! I purchase their pearls, however, 8mm and larger - these have been cultured in Japan.

[purepearls]

This is a great article to refer to explaining cultured Japanese pearls versus Chinese pearls: http://www.pearl-guide.com/japanese-akoya-pearls.htm

Chinese pearls are taking over in all aspects, including quality and price. Although larger Akoya pearls are predominantly from Japan at this time, the trends are changing and the Chinese pearl farmers are perfecting their techniques for producing high quality Akoyas in all sizes.

It's amazing how fast this change has occurred, and this is a big indicator that the Chinese pearl market will continue to strengthen. Unfortunately, many retailers are not aware that the pearls they are selling are, in fact, Chinese.

[Kevin Canning]

A small known fact, as reported in the Pearl World International Pearling Journal 1st quarter edition, is that if you are buying a 'Japanese' strand, most likely the majority of the strand was cultured in China.

This is also about to be reported(december I believe) in the HONG KONG JEWELLERY MAGAZINE as I just did an interview with them regarding the Akoya pearl industry. T

[purepearls]

I am really glad to see that Cultured Japanese Akoya Pearls vs. Chinese Akoya Pearls is making news. All of this awareness in news mediums will hopefully sway jewelers to be honest about what they are selling. It is not fair to the customers because they would have no way of knowing what they are buying. It is up to us to educate our customers, and I am delighted to see that we are making a giant step forward towards creating customer awareness of Chinese Akoya pearls being sold as Japanese Akoyas.

[Andrew Paul Williams]

I believe this is indeed the trend, though it appears that the majority of high quality Akoya pearls (especially AA quality and above) still carry the title of "Japanese" Akoya, While the Chinese have all but dominated the market for the smaller sizes.

[The Pearl Outlet]

Unfortunately, this myth is being propagated for profit. Take for instance this quote currently posted well known internet site:

...Chinese Akoya are of much lower grade and quality and are at least 70% less valuable than Japanese Akoya.

This is incorrect. Pearls are not appraised based on the country of origin. Take a high-end Chinese strand and a high-end Japanese strand and have them appraised. They will both appraise for approximately the same amount. Especially since the Japanese strand, if it is composed of 7.5mm or smaller pearls, is in all likelihood, made of mostly Chinese pearls.

[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."

[The Pearl Outlet]

Here is the link to the article Andrew is referring to:

Akoya Pearls

Here are a couple of other links to well written articles in the Pearl-Guide on the subject:

Japanese Akoya Pearls

Japanese Pearls vs. Chinese Pearls

Perhaps, as a group, we resellers should link directly to these articles to help educate our customers?

[purepearls]

We receive questions from customers comparing cultured Chinese and Japanese Akoya pearls on a daily basis. It's our responsibility to educate our customers about the truth. Change is inevitable! Yes, Japanese Akoya pearls used to be better than Chinese Akoya pearls. This is no longer the case, nor has it been for a few years. It is the jeweler's responsibility to keep up-to-date on what is going on in the jewelry industry. It is unfortunate that consumers are still being misinformed about so many different things.

I would also like to mention the topic of cultured pearls. One of the biggest misconceptions is that cultured pearls only encompass Freshwater pearls. If you as the consumer ever see an advertisement for a piece of jewelry and it says "CULTURED PEARL BRACELET", the company is referring to Freshwater pearls most of the time. I truly do not understand why this has become common practice, especially among large retailers. Cultured pearls include Freshwater, Akoya, Tahitian, and South Sea pearls among others. I feel like using only the word "cultured" without using the type of pearl is deceptive.

[The Pearl Outlet]

Also note, both Chinese and Japanese pearls can be Hanadama certified. This prized certification ensures you're buying the highest quality pearls available, comparable to the most expensive name brand pearls on the market.