How pearls are artificially grown in Japan

Centuries ago, pearls were very expensive. The pearl could not be found in all mollusks, it came across only in one in ten. Yes, and pearls grew for a very long time. Later, the Chinese found that if you put a foreign body in a shell, then the mollusk inside will turn it into a pearl. So began the cultivation of pearls, but it reached a truly gigantic proportions after a couple of centuries in Japan. It is here that about 20 tons of pearls are grown, and today the Japanese occupy a leading position in this business.

Sakaguchi Akoya Pearl Farm in Ago Bay. This is the third generation of the Sakaguchi family, which grows pearls. Their pearls in diameter reach from 3 millimeters to one centimeter.

It was here that artificial pearls were first grown, and later practice spread throughout the world. In 1893, a local resident began to artificially introduce a foreign body into the oyster shell in order to “push” it to work. But in general, everything is the same as in nature: a grain of sand falls into a pearl pocket, and then the magic begins.

Farmer pulls out a net with oysters. After another ten years, the method was improved, perfectly round pearls began to be obtained.

The collection of oysters.

Initially, Sakaguchi Akoya products were considered vulgar, but over time its popularity grew.

Farmers insert a kernel into an oyster. Usually a small ball of mollusk and a piece of donor mantle from another oyster are used as it. And the work begins: for several months the oyster assiduously emits nacre and "covers" the foreign body with layers.

Clam nets in Ago Bay.

The collection of pearls takes place in December, when the bay is already cold water.

After collecting, artificial pearls undergo strict selection. Only 5% of oysters give the very perfect pearls that are put into production. In some oysters, nothing is formed at all.

Cleansing oysters.

In the past ten years alone, 20 tons of pearls have been grown in Japan. This is approximately 150 million dollars. By 2027, the Japanese intend to increase the bar to $ 180 million. However, this is negligible compared to those turnover that were in the past. In the 1980s, Japan produced 70 tons of pearls for a total value of approximately $ 800 million.

Oyster pearl on Sakaguchi Akoya farm.

In Japan, pearl jewelry is considered a family heirloom, they are inherited. Traditionally, pearl jewelry is presented to the bride before the wedding, and they are the main accessories of Japanese brides.

Watch the video: Formation of a Pearl. Secret Life of Pearls (May 2024).