Japanese Akoya Cultured Pearls 1

the sea around the southern half of Japan is one of the largest habitats for AOA oysters in the world here independent Japanese Pearl Growers have refined and developed Mickey Moto's techniques over the past 100 years some of the most beautiful pearls on Earth are grown in this country where attention to minute detail and Aesthetics Define every action today there are some 2,000 independent Pearl Growers harvesting pearls in The Quiet Waters of Japan large and small cultivators alike employ the same basic techniques necessary to grow these lustrous gems to Perfection the process of pearl cultivation is painstaking and timec consuming but the Pearl Growers and workers perform their life's work with patience and dedication to diminish the risk of overexploitation and species Extinction a sizable amount of Japan's AOA oysters are laboratory bread in tanks this method breeds hearty and healthy oysters which will produce pearls known for their Superior luster and color oyster breeders employ the most modern scientific methods of breeding and always select the highest quality nutrients to ensure healthy oysters at 6 months old after egg fertilization and incubation baby oysters are taken from the hatcheries and placed in special areas in Bays around the southern part of Japan to grow to maturity this is the beginning of a miraculous partnership between man and nature when they're grown to maturity which is about 3 years of age the healthiest oysters are selected and brought from the sea and placed in holding tanks they are ready to be implanted with a special irritant which will begin the Pearl growing process first their metabolism is slowed down in an anesthetic bath so that they do not suffer trauma or shock during the implantation operation once taken from its tank the oyster is placed in an eye Lev stand and open slightly so that its body and muscle tissue are not damaged next a piece of mantle tissue which carries genetic code is taken from a prize oyster one proven to produce the finest pearls the mantle tissue is cut into strips which when inserted into the oyster will start the Pearl producing process with surgical Precision an incision is made in the oyster's body and the mantle tissue which contain cells that will begin to secrete is placed within the body in a location that will be relatively safe for the oyster then a small round piece of shell or nucleus is inserted into the oyster next to the piece of mantle tissue these nuclei come from the shell of a special kind of mullus us ually a freshwater American Muscle the nucleus will serve as an irritant to the oyster which will ultimately cover the nucleus with layers and layers of lustrous this painstaking operation requires a great deal of skill by the insertion technician for one small mistake can result in the death of the oyster oysters which have undergone the successful insertion operation are weakened by the operation must recuperate they are quickly taken outside to rafts where they rest for about a week but not all oysters will survive this delicate surgery and still others will reject the inserted nuclei altogether those that do survive are transferred to the main rafts in the bay for the next 2 to 3 years the oysters are carefully monitored and cared for by their ever Vigilant Guardian Keepers water temperature is constantly checked salinity and alkalinity measured in some cases the oysters are removed from the sea every 10 days and cleaned of barnold or parasites which might interfere with their feeding and health this meticulous care and nurturing of host oysters is necessary to produce the best pearls possible as the seasons change in Japan from Autumn to Winter the waters can become frigid and uninhabitable for the Pearl Oyster if the water temperature drops drastically the oysters must immediately be moved to warmer areas throughout the spring the AOA oysters wrap layers of pearly around their [Music] irritants although summer brings milder weather and warmer water it can also bring the dreaded red tide or typhoons in a few months these harsh conditions can destroy a year or more of hard work so the Pearl workers diligently guard their oysters against these potential disastrous natural occurrences after years of vigilance and Care Pearl Farmers retrieve the oysters they have raised in some cases their diligence and dedication end in vain after visiting outlying Pearl culturing areas which are far removed from any of Japan's major cities Pearl processors return home to coob to begin the process of making cultured pearls ready for sale on the World Market this process will include Pearl sorting by quality size and shape drilling matching and finally temporary stringing all done to facilitate wholesale distribution to various domestic and international markets the worldwide market for cultured pearls can exceed $5 billion in any any given year because cultured pearls are a product of nature no two are ever alike each Pearl has its own unique physical characteristics its own luster surface shape color and size it is the job of the sorter to separate the Lots bought at auction into workable Parcels the pearls in each parcel must be separated by brilliance size shape and color in order to use those pearls in various pieces of jewelry the job of sorting is a difficult task requiring Keen eyed experts with many years of experience who can sift through literally thousands of pearls each day quickly and efficiently next holes must be drilled into each Pearl to prepare for stringing an extremely delicate procedure reserved for only the highly trained one slip of the hand can ruin a treasure

Channel: kobepreciouspearl

Views: 103,518

Keywords: Japanese, Akoya, Pearls, Kobe, cultured, export, manufacture

Id: 4ezQ0hANNPk

Length: 8min 12sec (492 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 15 2009