difference in durability between fw and akoya?

[mikehrz]

I have seen many instances where fw pearls are described as being "solid nacre so they will last for a long time." i know that akoyas have thinner nacre, but it seems to me that only the top layers of nacre on any pearl are visible, so any damage caused would be equally ruinous regardless of the total thickness of nacre. is there any substantial difference between the durability of akoyas and fw's?

[Stella'sStones]

Akoya pearls are much more fragile, and due to the typically thin-nacre it can chip, crack, peel, etc.

Akoya pearls can last, but they really need to be well cared for. I personally prefer Akoya pearls, though. Nothing is as beautiful to me as a lustrous Akoya pearl (although quite often I see very high lustre freshwater pearls as well).

[Kevin Canning]

There is a great article on pearl-guide.com that is worth a read:

Freshwater VS. Akoya (http://www.pearl-guide.com/freshwater-vs-akoya.shtml)