What are the differences between Japanese and Chinese Akoya pearls? How will I be able to spot them in a jewelry store?

Pamela H.-Missoula, MT  Hi Pamela!   In order to answer your question correctly, I need to give you a little history first… The Japanese were the very first to pioneer cultured pearl technology, and have had many more years than the Chinese to perfect their culturing and processing techniques. To this day, they are considered by many to be the undisputed masters of their art. From the early 1900’s through the 1990’s, Japanese Akoya pearls were the only option when purchasing Akoya pearls as well! Additionally, they are still the only source for Gem-Quality Hanadama, or ‘Flower-Pearls’ as they are also called.  The Chinese decided to try their hands at culturing Akoya pearls and grabbing a share of the saltwater pearl market starting around 1980. At first, the pearl farmers focused solely on flooding the market with cheap pearls as quickly as they could harvest them, similar to the Freshwater ‘Rice Crispy’ pearls that flooded international markets during the 1980’s. Many consumers and jewelry insiders quickly shunned the Chinese Akoya and Freshwater pearl products as cheap and poor quality, incomparable with that of their Japanese counterparts. Blinking, poor coloration, heavy chemical bleaching and over-treatment, as well as a heavy ratio of pearls displaying an unacceptable rate of blemishing all too easily became the widely-acknowledged reputation for Chinese Akoya.  However, Chinas’ rapid technological advancements in perfecting their culturing process as well as their new outlook regarding the quality of the pearls that are allowed on the market have become important factors for Chinese pearl farmers and exporters over the last decade. Quality has vastly improved, to the point that it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between Japanese and Chinese Akoya; indeed, it is impossible to distinguish origin for gemological laboratories around the world! Although they have not yet mastered the nucleation techniques of larger Akoya, 8.0mm and up, the Chinese have done an admirable job of attaining quality craftsmanship levels in Akoya pearl sizes ranging from 4.0-8.0mm.  The Japanese, meanwhile have decided not to compete with China any longer for market share in the smaller sizes, choosing instead to specialize on larger Akoya 7.5/8.0mm through 9.5mm (10.0mm has been seen on the market, but this size is rare for Akoya and command a premium.) where their cultivation and processing techniques are still recognized as being of superior quality. So, the standard rule of thumb is: if the pearls are under 8.0mm in size, the statistics say it is probably Chinese in origin.