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About pearl color

 The most common color for necklaces is white-pink, but many other colors appear, such as pink, white, gray and blue tones.

Akoya pearls in different colors, such as pink, green, blue and goldThe inside of an Akoya oyster shell with a rainbow luster

About pearl pigments

 The color of a pearl cannot be known until it is harvested.

Based on the results of the previous year's mother and donor oysters, we choose oysters likely to produce white pearls for cultivation.

 Because a pearl is formed from the substances of the Akoya oyster, the color that appears on the inside of the shell is reflected in the pearl's color, giving off a beautiful luster.

Interference color and body color

 Interference color is the color of the core at the center of the pearl, and it is either pink or green. In general, the thicker the nacre and the better the luster, the deeper the interference color.

 Body color is the color around the core. Natural color pearls have a white body color, and color-toned pearls have a pink one; together these create many different looks.

 Depending on the transparency of the nacre, a yellowish tone may also mix in, and cream-colored pearls appear as well.

A single Akoya pearl with a pink interference color visible at its center
Body colorInterference color
Two Akoya pearls comparing pink and green interference colors
Interference color: pinkBody color: whiteInterference color: greenBody color: white
Color-tonedPearl necklace whose body color became pink through color toning
Interference color: pinkBody color: pink
Natural colorNatural color pearl necklace with a white body color
Interference color: pinkBody color: white

Color toning and natural color

 Most pearls go through a treatment called "color toning". Color toning is a process that removes impurities between the layers of nacre and then restores the color. It makes the body color pink. Because the treatment is applied inside the nacre rather than dyeing the surface, the color does not come off the surface.

 Color toning does not create luster, and it is not a process that makes a poor pearl beautiful. Please think of it as a treatment that brings out the natural beauty of the pearl to the fullest.

 Natural color pearls, on the other hand, are pearls that have only had impurities removed from the nacre. When the nacre is clear and the pearl is beautiful without color toning, we make it into jewelry as it is. In that case, the body color is white.

About matching (rensō)

 Rensō means how well the pearls are matched when strung into a necklace. Every pearl has its own character, so even pearls that look the same color are never exactly alike. We string them while considering luster, nacre, shape and the gradation of sizes.

 A well-matched necklace has a sense of unity and looks even more beautiful. A poorly matched one, by contrast, shows uneven sizes, and is more likely to develop uneven color over time.

A pearl necklace strung with matched color, luster, shape and size

Back to pearl quality and how to choose →