Pearlsofnature - recent pearl productionl

Recent pearl production:

China has recently overtaken Japan in Akoya pearl production. Japan has all but ceased its production of Akoya pearls smaller than 8-mm. Japan maintains its status as a pearl processing centre, however, and imports the majority of Chinese Akoya pearl production. These pearls are then processed (often simply matched and sorted), re-labelled as product of Japan, and exported.

In the past couple of decades, cultured pearls have been produced using larger oysters in the south Pacific and Indian Ocean. The largest pearl oyster is the Pinctada maxima, which is roughly the size of a dinner plate. South Sea pearls are characterised by their large size and warm lustre. Sizes up to 14 mm in diameter are quite common. South Sea pearls are primarily produced in Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Mitsubishi started pearl culture with the south sea pearl oyster in 1916, as soon as the technology patent was commercialised. By 1931 this project was showing signs of success, but was upset by the death of Tatsuhei Mise. Although the project was recommenced after Tatsuhei’s death, the project was discontinued at the beginning of the Second World War before significant productions of pearls were achieved.

After the Second World War, new south sea pearl projects were started in the early 1950s in Burma and Kuri Bay and Port Essington in Australia. Japanese companies were involved in all projects using techniques from the original Mitsubishi south sea pre-war projects.

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