In Japan, pearls are given to women who are about to marry. These necklaces, earrings or rings are then passed on to the next generation. Because natural pearls are rare, the Japanese developed cultured pearl farms beginning in the 1890s. The country continues to dominate the cultured pearl market.
The first commercial pearl farm was established in 1893 in Ago Bay, where the Sakaguchi family has been operating the Akoya pearl farm for three generations. In the natural world, pearls grow from tiny grains of sand or shell. In the farmed variety, round polished balls of shell are inserted into the oyster’s flesh. The animal responds by producing layers of nacre, or mother-of-pearl, which surround the ball.
Only about five per cent of farmed oysters produce pearls of marketable quality. During the 1980s, Japan produced about 70 tonnes of cultured pearls. That number has fallen to about 20 tonnes, worth ¥16.6 billion (€133 million). Pearl farmers hope to increase production again, to reach ¥20 billion (€160 million) by 2027.
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