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The Development of Akoya Pearls

A beaded cultured pearl produced in Pinctada fucata, the Akoya pearl oyster. Pinctada fucata is used extensively for pearl culture in Japan, China and other areas. Akoya pearl is the Japanese name for this pearl oyster.

Today’s centre of pearl culture in Japan is Kashikojima, from where one can look over the countless small bays with their bamboo rafts on clear days. Until 1938, nearly all cultured pearls came from the Ago Bay or neighboring areas in Mie Prefecture. The prefecture is still the second most important area, and around one third of all pearls come from there. Later in 20 century, Ehime Prefecture was the most important pearl culture area and achieved a slightly higher production than Mie and Kyushu.

Guangxi and Guangdong Province are the main Akoya cultured pearl areas in China. Actually Zhanjiang is one of China’s most important pearl production centers in Guangdong Province. Its output of Akoya cultured pearls makes up two thirds of the country’s total saltwater production. So we set out on a trip to one their farms.  Being surrounded by sea on three sides, Zhanjiang is blessed with rich marine resources. It has more than 30 island; the total length of coastline is some 1,500 kilometers. Zhanjiang is situated to the south of the Tropic of Cancer and is typical of a tropical climate. Now there are probably about 2,000 to 4,000 farms in China today. About 60% of the local people along the coasts of Guangxi and Guangdong probably work in the cultured pearl jewelry industry today.

The Formation of Akoya Cultured Pearl

The formation of the actual pearl sack takes about two weeks at a water temperature of 16degree. The pearl sack grows continuously larger by cell division and surrounds the flowing pearl. The slimy type of skin that is seen when the pearl are harvested is nothing other than the pearl sack. During the grafting process, a nucleus made of mother-of-pearl and a tiny piece of mantle tissue from a donor mollusk are inserted together in such a way that the outer epithelium cells touch the nucleus. The outer epithelium cells of the square of mantle tissue are temporarily replaced with longish, elastic cells, which surround the nucleus, while the endoderm and the connective tissue are dissolved.The rounded epithelium cells appear again and grow into the actual pearl sack. At the same time, they start to secrete pearly substance. After the nucleus insertion process, the mollusk need up to six weeks in an intensive care station in order to recover. The actual growth time begins after the intensive care period, when the operated mollusks are taken to their allocated destination.

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