About colors types
Many people think of Akoya pearls as “white pearls”,
but Akoya pearls come in variety of shades even if they say “white”.
There are also the original colors of Akoya pearls, and there are also shades created by the application of toning and dyeing.
About color types
The colors of Akoya pearls are roughly divided into three types. A natural color with the original color of pearls. Toning that brings out the potential beauty of pearls. Pearls colored with dye.
Natural color
There are white system, blue system and cream system. The white type is a process that only removes organic matter attached to pearls during the cultivation, leaving a beautiful natural color. In blue, pearls look blue when organic matter enters between the nacres. In cream system, several layers of nacres overlap and become thicker, and the pearls look creamy when viewed through the nacres.
Toning
Toning pearls are a processing method used to bring out the potential beauty of the pearls. Pearls that grow in Akoya shellfish have slightly different colors. Therefore, by adding same pigment as light pink that Akoya originally has nacre, it gives sense of unity to the color. This method is called Toning pearls. 90% of Akoya pearls are currently in circulation are said to be toned. That is why many Akoya pearls have a strong pink impression. The greatest attraction of toning is that Akoya’s inherent beauty stands out.
Dye
Dyeing is a processing method that changes the color of pearls using the natural or synthetic dyes. There are various color variation, such as black, blue, orange, gold, green purple, etc., which bring fashion and design to pearls. In recent years, pearls have developed that will enhance visual aesthetics with the advancement and research of processing technology.
Akoya pearls
Interference color is the color created by light. It is the color that light enters into the nacre and absorbs the color in the pear land is reflected visually. In the photo, the left is the pink interference color and the right is the green interference color. The body color is the color of the surface of the pearl.