Have you heard the name of Akoya before? My guess is might be but for those who came across this word for the first time then Akoya is one of the categories of Pearls like Freshwater Pearls are.
It might be surprising for you but there are a variety of pearls which our beautiful earth gives us like Akoya Pearls, Freshwater Pearls, Tahitian Pearls, and South Sea Pearls etc. Now you must be wondering which one should you buy?
Usually people confuse Akoya and Freshwater Pearls but these are easily distinguishable and then in the end it falls completely on you which one to buy according to your needs. To help you with this decision Boho Silver Rings provides with our guide to Akoya VS Freshwater Pearls. So let’s begin.
ORIGIN
Let’s start the differentiation from where both these varieties of pearls originated from. Freshwater Pearls originated in China from mussels founds in lakes and rivers. Also, in the US, Mississippi River basin some freshwater pearls are produced. While the Akoya Pearls comes from Japan. Also. Do you know that Akoya is the name of a small oyster which Japanese saltwater pearls originated from?
SHAPE
The major difference between Akoya and Freshwater Pearl is about their shape. Freshwater Pearls are available in a variety of shapes like off round, oval shape, potato etc. the higher these are in quality, the rounder these get in shape. While if we talk about Akoya Pearls they are perfectly round in shape although these are available but are still rare.
COLOR
You might be surprised to know that Freshwater Pearls come in a variety of colours like gold, peach, blue-green, pink, grey, purple, cream and of course white. But if we talk about Akoya pearls then these are available in much lesser colours and these are available in colours like cream, white or neutral tones.
LUSTER
Luster refers to the soft glow on the pearl. As the Akoya pearl is a saltwater pearl and are perfectly round in shape that’s why they reflect light perfectly. These pearls have more superficial luster than freshwater pearls. But as know Freshwater Pearls are not perfectly round that’s why cannot reflect light perfectly and are usually duller in appearance.
NACRE
Nacre refers to the external layer the pearl comprises of. Akoya pearls are more delicate then the freshwater pearl as they have very thin nacre (approximately around 1 MM thick). While if we talk about Freshwater pearls then these are almost made up of nacre.
VALUE
Let’s now talk about the prices of both categories of pearls. When we compare the values of both these then Akoya Pearls win the game as these are more expensive than Freshwater Pearls. Some of the reasons for Akoya pearls being expensive are that these pearls are very rare and are not available in a variety of colours. While if we see freshwater pearls then these are easily available and have a variety of colours and hence are the least expensive.
KEYNOTES
Now as we are aware about the differences between both the categories of pearls let’s take a few notes about both which will help us in choosing the perfect one for our needs.
|
Akoya Pearls |
Freshwater Pearls |
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These are luxurious hence occasion oriented. |
These are perfect for wearing on daily basis. |
|
These are expensive. |
These are affordable. |
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Encompasses Superb Luster. |
Gives a unique glow. |
|
It will last a lifetime. |
Best pearl to start with. |
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Perfectly round in shape. |
Not Perfectly round in shape. |
In this blog, we have covered the entire topic of Akoya vs. Freshwater pearls and we hope this will help you decide which pearl you want to go for. You can take a look at our Rings collection which is made just for you. Always remember that the Boho Silver Rings team is always here to solve all your doubts & concerns. You can email us any time at: info@bohosilverrings.com. Don’t forget to follow us on our various social media handles:
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Thank You! Will be back with more interesting topics soon..!!
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