What Are Akoya Pearls?

Akoya pearls are pearls formed by Akoya oysters from Asia, notably Japan. Although there are some that say that the Akoya Oyster originally came from China.

Technically the Akoya Oysters mentioned are more specifically known by the their scientific name, Pinctada Fucata Martensii. For pearl forming oysters they are relatively small, measuring only 6 to 8 centimers across. For this reason akoya pearls only range from about 2 millimeters to 11 millemeters in size. Commonly sold sizes are between mm to 8mm, with 7mm diameter being the most popular.