Welcome to Pacific Pearls Info Page

Pearls are supposed to be round?

The advent of cultivation made a great leap toward satisfying the age-old wish for round pearls.  To a multitude of resellers, and the consumer they guided, the product could not be perfect enough.  A lack of knowledge about farming pearls on the part of both caused much disappointment and controversy throughout their history.  For those interested, we provide 2 historical snapshots, roughly a generation apart, about this problem, in 1963 and 1993. A worrisome trend that threatens the reputation of akoya pearls (a Japanese product) but caters to the same preoccupation with perfect pearls is the misuse of the name akoya.

Confused about which pearls are called by what name by whom? No wonder.  

Our "Naming Pearls"addresses a few controversial words, part of a glossary that needs to be expanded. Refer to it here

Pacific Pearls' 80-year history is available in a brief synopsis  here.

If you feel that the jargon in these articles is confusing, consider reading this concise introduction.

Looking for information about pearls we sell?  To choose which ones are of interest to you, click here.

Curious about the history of freshwater pearling in Japan?

To read vintage data, of current relevance, please see our new Other Reading