Japanese vs. Chinese Akoya Pearls

In 1994 Japanese Akoya pearls held over 66% of the world market (by value). Today they only hold 11% of the market. The competition is mainly from China. The Chinese are currently producing 24 English tons of Akoya pearls annually, while the Japanese produce only 18 English tons.

Physically, Akoya cultured pearls are exactly the same no matter if they are cultured in waters off the coast of Japan or China. Interestingly, the Famous Brand has operations in China too. Pearl Oasis carries both Japanese and Chinese Akoya cultured pearls. Since we supply all sizes and grades of Akoya pearls to meet our customer's different demands, we purchase Akoya pearls from a variety of sources so long as the pearl quality meet our specifications. Since we purchase our Akoya pearls directly from importers, we know the country of origin of the pearls and include this information in our catalog.

We consistently apply the same Akoya pearl grading system to exam and grade Akoya pearls regardless of their origins. (click here to see our Akoya pearl grading system). We do not accept low quality Akoya pearls such as pearls having very thin nacre, heavily blemished or yellowish color. These low quality akoya pearls are the result of short production period (time the oyster spends in the sea) or poor processing technique. Japanese Akoya pearls are more expensive than Chinese Akoya pearls for the same size and same grade because labor cost is more expensive in Japan than in China. Currently, the Japanese have the best processing techniques (cleaning. bleaching, treating, sorting, matching, etc.), so it is easier for us to obtain the highest grade pearls from Japan rather than China.