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A brief history of pearls |
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SIZE OF AKOYA PEARLS
Akoya pearls come from relatively small oysters, and as a result, the pearls themselves are typically smaller than other cultured pearls are.
Average Akoya Pearl Sizes
The average Japanese Akoya cultured pearl is about 7 millimeters in diameter. However, when they're harvested, they can range between 2 millimeters and 10 millimeters.
Graduated Pearl Strands with Akoya Cultured Pearls
Because the development of pearls depends on a natural process, it can be unpredictable. There's no way for a pearl farmer to know how large or small a pearl will be before opening the oyster, so many Akoya pearl strands feature graduated sizing.
The term graduated refers to the practice of using smaller pearls on the outsides of a strand and including larger pearls in the center. Many uniform necklaces have a range of graduation of 0.5 millimeters.
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