[jshepherd]

The debate between Japanese and Chinese Akoya pearls has been raging for quite some time. Sellers of Japanese Akoya claim that only the Japanese can produce truly high quality Akoya pearls, and sellers of Chinese claim that their pearls can be just as nice as the Japanese.
Well, what it comes down to is simple. Yes the Japanese can produce fine quality Akoya pearls, but so can the Chinese. You can buy junk from Japan, and you can buy junk from China. But, you can buy fine quality Akoya that are cultured in China and pay much less for them. But it is much, much more difficult to get to the source in China, and it is not easy to secure the best pieces - it is about relationships and experience.
I personally travel to China 10-12 times each year, 5-6 times visiting Akoya farms and factories, and 5-6 times visiting the freshwater region. I travel to Japan twice each year, once shortly after Hamaage (Akoya harvest) and once in the fall to replenish for Christmas.
The reason I do so well visiting Akoya pearl farms in China is simply because they are very difficult to get to, and the farmers and factory owners rarely speak English. This means I am always the only Westerner in the area. Can you guess where the all the other buyers come from? They all come from Japan. The Japanese buyers buy everything with decent luster, no matter the surface quality. They buy the pearls loose, take them back to Japan, more or less slap a label on the strands that says “made in Japan”, and sell them to their Japanese and International customers.
Publications such as the JCK, Jewellery News Asia, Pearl World – The International Pearling Journal, have all reported that if you buy a strand of Akoya pearls, you are almost certain to have 80% Chinese pearls mixed in with those truly farmed in Japan. How can the factories get away with this, one might ask? It is simple, there is no difference in the pearls when the quality is the same. Due to fact that the Chinese can now produce top quality Akoya pearls, nearly all pearl farms in Japan are currently operating in the red (also reported by Pearl World). The factories, however, are not. They are surviving by purchasing pearls from China, greatly marking them up, and selling them as Japanese. This means the real losers are the Japanese pearl farmers AND the end consumers who have been made to believe they are purchasing a superior product.
It was recently posted on a well-known pearl Site, a comparison photo of a fine quality “Japanese Akoya” strand and a low quality Chinese Akoya, stating in their experience it is the typical quality coming out of China. The picture that I have posted below is equally absurd, but I feel it gets the same apples to oranges point across. The top strand is a top quality Chinese Akoya strand, and the bottom strand is one I purchased from Teishin Trading Company in Kobe Japan last Fall when they offered me with a "great" deal on a few hanks. I paid $35 more for the bottom strand. Now I ask you, which is the better piece? According to Japanese Akoya purveyors it would be the bottom strand - worth at least 70% more!

[TievoliJewelry]

You know what I find very interesting? The company that you are referring to, posting that comparison picture, claims that in their experience this is the quality coming out of China. I would be willing to bet anyone a strand of Hanadama Japanese pearls that they have absolutely 0 experience purchasing akoya pearls in China. Also, showing a picture of what 'most' chinese akoya strands looks like and comparing it to a 'fine' japanese akoya?! That is just dishonest. Why not show what MOST japanese look like as a real comparison. 'Most' produced in both countries are total garbage! It is the selection of the best that matters....duh!!!!!!!!!!! The picture posted above of the Japanese strand likely shows 'most' japanese!

I really like your comparison. Although I agree it is just as absurd, it actually makes a much stronger and much, much more legitimate point that the not-so-well thoughtout post on that shill forum.

[TievoliJewelry]

I guess I should mention the shill web site because i just realized it is impossible to find.
pearl-education.com
Not sure I should post this hyperlink though. They will probably get more visitors today than they have since they put the site up. You can see what they are trying to copy! But boy are they missing jshepherd's real concept. Obviously dont get it!

Admin Note: I removed the actual hyperlink to the site so we don't help this site in the search engines.

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi,

I wonder how long they will let me stay on their site. As soon as this becomes an actual forum with real outside people posting, I will join. Let's see if they let me. Actually, I just joined. There are only two other members so far and it is hard to tell them apart.

Zeide

[TievoliJewelry]

I Highly doubt they will let you post. In fact, no one can post, only the Admin. Can't figure out who that is though
I just tried post post on one of the threads and this was what popped up.

Thank you for posting! You will now be taken to your post. If the administrator has selected to moderate all posts in this forum, you will be taken back to the forum and your post will be displayed presently. If you opted to post a poll, you will now be allowed to do so.

Basically it means that if they like your post they will accept it. It is funny yet sad.

[Kevin Canning]

It is obviously an attempt to copy pearl-guide.com and try and pollute the internet with information that serves their purposes and not those of the consumer or aficionado. They even choose to use the same software that we run here for our forums, although ours is heavily modified.

What is sad though, is the customer testimonials section where all the testimonials are posted by the admin - how's that for unbiased

They obviously have no idea how hard it is to get a forum off the ground and make it successful. It has taken several years just to get pearl-guide.com to this stage and we still have a LOOOOONG way to go.

[mikehrz]

Umm, the hyperlink to pearl-education is still working...

[jshepherd]

Let's go ahead and fix that. You know the old adage, any press is good press! Especially when dealing with related Sites and google bots. I highly doubt this forum will got a reciprocal link

[purepearls]

I think we should all put that post right smack dab in the middle of our websites. The pearl industry may be extremely complex but you will always find the truth here. Though it does take a lot of work to shed light on what really happens (because lies spread faster than truth), I think all efforts to help consumers make sound purchasing decisions are worth every bit of our time.

Some jewelers may blow a lot of smoke but it will end up coming back to choke them in the long run.

[Pearls_by_Angela_Carol]

Oh - this is just sad. AP is trying so hard to convince everyone that only 100% Japanese pearls are of any value. I personally like one of their marketing techniques were they talk about the JPEA tag. In their text they say that Chinese Akoya are "worth less" - but if you are just reading along, your mind will interpret it as "worthless".

Here are some truths that you will never find posted in that forum or on their site:

1) Japanese Akoya farmers do not sell directly to retailers - Akoya pearls are purchased in Japan from the pearl factories
2) Japan is one of the largest importers of Akoya pearls from China
3) The pearl factories in Japan mix all the pearls from China and all the pearls from Japan in together - there is no designation between the two

So - anyone contemplating on whether their information is accurate, just keep those three things in mind.

[jshepherd]

Zeide,

Did you notice that you were banned from 'that' Site before you even got a chance to post? Maybe you attempted, and the truth (about pearls ) set you free...? Guess someone did not want you around!

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Jeremy,

Yikes, whatever is their problem. I haven't said a word yet.

Zeide

[effisk]

Hi all,

I just registered on the other forum. I'm one of the few members, along whith pearleducation and ******.

I was allowed to post a message however. We'll see if it stays up for long.

[Slraep]

I visited that site a while ago and I must say that it is beyond ridiculous to have a forum where the owner/moderator is the only person allowed to post. What's the point of having a forum? It will look pretty funny when the amount of unknowing registered members tops 500 and the only one posting is the moderator.

Slraep

[jshepherd]

I actually have enjoyed reading the threads. Several times they have made me laugh. I expected the level of pearl knowledge to be high, but many of the posts contain information that is just not correct. My favorite from AP, which is also on their Site, is that their pearls are heavier because they have thicker nacre, and because pearls are purchased wholesale by weight, their pearls are more valuable. Next thing you know they are going to be "suspended planting" them I am surprised the Japanese don't just add a single extra pearl to each strand increasing the weight tremendously, and tripling the value of each necklace