Question about akoya studs

[Smith1942]

Hi, so I've recently learnt that akoya strands are delicate and shouldn't be worn for every day, hence my new pursuit of 9-9.5mm PP freshadamas, when I can afford them.

I have some Premier Akoya studs from Blue Nile, which have an incredible lustre and, from what I can gather, are similar quality to PP's hanadama. I also have some BN drop pearl earrings with their Classic Akoya pearls, and some blue akoya studs from PP.

My question is: Can akoya studs be worn for every day? Earrings don't get as much physical wear and tear as necklaces, which sit against your skin and can get touched by clothing and bounced around more when changing, etc. Or should I stick to freshwater studs for every day, too? There's no matching issue; often I'll just wear pearl studs alone, or with a small diamond solitaire pendant.

Thanks in advance!

 

[NacreLover]

If you love the look of akoya's why not buy a strand. It will take you years of wear to wear down the nacre. 4RG's husband bought her some akoyas which she wore daily for many years, decades? I will ask her to pipe in here for more information on this well loved signature strand. As for earrings, since they don't touch the skin they should be fine as long as you store them correctly and clean them regularly.

 

[LitGeek]

I wear my hanadama studs quite a bit and don't worry about wearing them through. They have very thick nacre for akoyas (as per the handadama certificate) and I do make sure I put them on last and wipe them off with the PP microfiber cloth after each wear. I think as long as yours are high quality (thick nacre) and you take care with them you will be fine. If you don't want to baby them, freshwater would definitely be the way to go and so affordable!

 

[4Ranch Girl]

If you love the look of akoya's why not buy a strand. It will take you years of wear to wear down the nacre. 4RG's husband bought her some akoyas which she wore daily for many years, decades? I will ask her to pipe in here for more information on this well loved signature strand. As for earrings, since they don't touch the skin they should be fine as long as you store them correctly and clean them regularly.

I wore my akoya strand every day for over 15 years. My sweet husband gave them to me in 1981. I pulled them out of the safe a couple of weeks ago to compare the luster to my new pistachio strand and they are just as lovely to day as they were in 1981 but I can see on very close inspection a few worn spots on several pearls. Back then I can say I was not as careful as I am today with my pearls so they did take a beating over the years by wearing perfume on my neck, sons teething on them, never cleaning them and sun screen on the chest. The earrings I wore with them I even wore in a pool and at the beach are ok too. Now with todays pearl growing practices I am not sure the akoyas of today could stand the beating I have given my beloved strand and earrings. But knowing that care must be taken with your pearls..last on first off...no chemicals of any kind around them (creams, hairspray, makeup) plus invest in a strand with thick nacre from a pearl seller you trust you probably need not worry to much about wearing them every day. I do have a friend whos skin is acidic and she must take very good care of her pearls by frequent washings. I am sure your earrings would be ok to wear everyday if care is taken.

 

[that_someone_special]

I think the important thing to remember though is that not all akoya are created equally. Some have very thin nacre- which in that case, I wouldn't wear all of the time.

Just my two pennies

 

[Pearlescence]

Exactly so. Some akoya will last a lifetime as they are from reputable suppliers and have lots of nacre over the bead. They will be expensive.
I cringe when i see a very success gemstone seller with his own TV channel over here (and in America) selling akoya for about half what I would pay wholesale in Hong Kong, or less. They must be so short grown that they are pearl plated beads which will wear out in no time or at least start blinking. I wish he wouldn't. Not because I can't stand the competition but because all those do buy from him are going to be disappointed and will think that is how pearls are. He knows gemstones really well and is very knowledgeable but on pearls - we get the grain of sand nonsense and all that stuff.

 

[Smith1942]

Thanks, everyone! Nacrelover, I do have an akoya strand but I don't want to wear it for everyday. I'm going to get some freshadamas for every day. My akoya strand is from Blue Nile's Classic Akoya collection and was about $800 in a sale, full price about 1k. I have no idea of the nacre thickness, but the lustre is beautiful, and so I want to look after it. I also have Blue Nile's Premier Akoya studs and those are the ones I was wondering about.

Everyone has made excellent points about quality and nacre thickness. Thanks!

 

[pearlsngems]

I would think you could get away with wearing akoya studs a lot without risking damage. They do not come in much contact with skin; the metal cup part attached to the post is what touches your ear lobe, primarily.

 

[Smith1942]

I would think you could get away with wearing akoya studs a lot without risking damage. They do not come in much contact with skin; the metal cup part attached to the post is what touches your ear lobe, primarily.

Thanks - that's what I thought. I'll get on with wearing them, then!

 

[Deeda]

Just want to concur with those encouraging you to wear your Akoyas every day. I believe they can withstand daily wear so long as you protect them from perfume and hairspray. I don't wear mine when swimming or showering.

They're so beautiful & should be enjoyed for a lifetime. (I also use fine china and crystal every day...why not?)