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Blue Akoya Pearl

Rubymal

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 27, 2019
Messages
423
Anyone have any thoughts on where to get nice quality/ color blue akoya pearls? I saw some on Na Hoku's website but I wonder if their deep blue may not be a natural color? I looked on pearl paradise and saw that their akoya blues looked more grayish/silver.

My birthday is coming up soon and dear fiance has offered to get me a blue pearl ring or pendant so I'm doing my research now! :D
 

AV_

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 5, 2018
Messages
3,889
They are gray-blue, somewhat more predictably blue-ish than other light gray pearls (p. margaritifera) but never butterfly-wing blue like abalone nacre can be, or ink blue like the dark blue mussel pearls (& others - the pigments are there, but many types of natural pearls are mythical - it is unclear if anything but minute pearls exist at all; a hunt left to do) ...

2p
 

Grymera

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Nov 26, 2017
Messages
380
Pearl Paradise offered some lovely vietnamese blue akoyas about 5-10 years ago and I've seen them infrequently offered by other vendors. Consider posting a Wanted To Buy to see if other pearl collectors can provide some options. My strand is a silvery-blue color with pink flashes in the nacre--I've never seen any a deeper blue than silvery-blue in real life.
 

pearlsngems

Ideal_Rock
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Jan 4, 2010
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The Vietnamese akoyas I've seen photos of seem to have a somewhat bluer tone than the Japanese ones.

Pearl Paradise sometimes has the Vietnamese blue akoyas in stock; they have lots of pearls in their vault that are not up on their website. You can inquire.
Cees Van Oije of Amsterdam Pearls sells them also. See photos of his Vietnamese and other pearls: https://www.instagram.com/cees_van_oije/?hl=en
 

cmd2014

Ideal_Rock
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Aug 6, 2014
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2,541
Most of the blue akoyas I have seen in person have tended to run silvery blue. I would call Pearl Paradise to see if they have any stronger coloured ones in stock. Pearls of Joy also often carries blue akoya as does Pure Pearls. Might be worth touching base with them as well to see what they have and if they can send you some pictures.
 

Rubymal

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 27, 2019
Messages
423
Thanks for all the replies, everyone! I wasn't seeing anything remotely close to what I wanted through the suggested sites so I opted to stick with Na Hoku. But in my search, I did stumble across a black, freshwater bracelet that caught my eye so I have that coming my way soon :)
 

kikoko

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 15, 2019
Messages
25
Blue akoya means madama?
 

pearlsngems

Ideal_Rock
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Blue akoya means madama?

Not necessarily. There are lower quality blue akoyas, too. "Madama" is for blue akoyas what "hanadama" is for white akoyas.
 

Tartansparkles

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Feb 23, 2017
Messages
928
These are my blue akoyas from pearlescence. I bought a string and wear them as a double row bracelet. I can't tell you how blue they are because I don't have any other pearls to compare them to but one or two of the pearls are definitely blue - er (eg in the first photo the pearl closer to the clasp). IMG_20190806_151807394.jpg

20171012_133332.jpg

20171012_133302.jpg 20171012_133459.jpg
 

kikoko

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 15, 2019
Messages
25
Oh!!! I got it, thank you!!!
Not necessarily. There are lower quality blue akoyas, too. "Madama" is for blue akoyas what "hanadama" is for white akoyas.
 

kikoko

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 15, 2019
Messages
25
Is this natural color?
These are my blue akoyas from pearlescence. I bought a string and wear them as a double row bracelet. I can't tell you how blue they are because I don't have any other pearls to compare them to but one or two of the pearls are definitely blue - er (eg in the first photo the pearl closer to the clasp). IMG_20190806_151807394.jpg

20171012_133332.jpg

20171012_133302.jpg 20171012_133459.jpg
 

canuk-gal

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
25,646
This is my choker with an aqua and blue akoyas from Pearl Paradise. They are slightly grayish but blue C9F5EC9C-633D-42F2-AA72-BA15DEF3D232.jpeg

NO WORDS!:love::love::love::love::love::love::love: I now believe you must be Royalty. This necklace is majestic! Any chance of a IRL picture?

cheers--Sharon
 

Arkteia

Ideal_Rock
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Nov 3, 2009
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7,589
NO WORDS!:love::love::love::love::love::love::love: I now believe you must be Royalty. This necklace is majestic! Any chance of a IRL picture?

cheers--Sharon

Hi Sharon,

Thank you!

It was my idea, this necklace. Let me see if I have a picture. How do we cover our faces on the photos?
 

missy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Jun 8, 2008
Messages
53,978
This is my choker with an aqua and blue akoyas from Pearl Paradise. They are slightly grayish but blue C9F5EC9C-633D-42F2-AA72-BA15DEF3D232.jpeg

Gorgeous. So lustrous. :love:
 

missy

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
53,978
These are my blue akoyas from pearlescence. I bought a string and wear them as a double row bracelet. I can't tell you how blue they are because I don't have any other pearls to compare them to but one or two of the pearls are definitely blue - er (eg in the first photo the pearl closer to the clasp). IMG_20190806_151807394.jpg

20171012_133332.jpg

20171012_133302.jpg 20171012_133459.jpg

@kikoko, sorry I didn't see your earlier post. Yes, the blue akoyas I bought are their
natural colour. They are blue/pink/silver to my eyes but it also depends on the lighting.
IMG_20190928_092432179_HDR.jpg

Kitchen lights this morning.

Wow, amazing. Spectacular. LOVE.:love:
 

ennui

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Feb 28, 2014
Messages
995
Be careful where you buy your blue Akoyas. They can be dyed, or they can be irradiated to deepen the color (the irradiation darkens the bead nucleus).
I like the silver blue Akoyas from Japan, but I know the Vietnamese are very popular.
 

MMtwo

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 20, 2009
Messages
4,441
Anyone have any thoughts on where to get nice quality/ color blue akoya pearls? I saw some on Na Hoku's website but I wonder if their deep blue may not be a natural color? I looked on pearl paradise and saw that their akoya blues looked more grayish/silver.

My birthday is coming up soon and dear fiance has offered to get me a blue pearl ring or pendant so I'm doing my research now! :D

Hi, my strand was from Pearl Paradise. Hisano jelped me pick them out in 2016. It has rose overtones as well as a blueish gray color.
20191005_151338.jpg 20191005_151400.jpg
 

MMtwo

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 20, 2009
Messages
4,441
Like most pearls, they change with the light source and direction. In real life, they look like the picture in my hand.
 

RunningwithScissors

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Apr 29, 2019
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3,699
Oh my goodness, all of these jewelry pieces are divine! I had never thought about blue pearls before, but now I want some! So gorgeous!
 
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