● I was born and raised in Japan. I have a preference for the natural and abundant environment of the countryside over the city. My hobbies include reading and playing musical instruments.
● Through Akoya pearls, I hope to share smiles the charm of and pearls with everyone.
● I exclusively sell Akoya pearls on Etsy.com and this website.
As a seller of Akoya pearls, here are the principles I adhere to:
Not to overestimate
I strive to evaluate pearls fairly and accurately. Even with B-grade pearls, there are people who may believe them to be of AAA-grade quality based on their description and photography. While deceiving people for profit is unacceptable, as a member of the pearl farming industry, I do not wish to easily claim that the pearls I handle are of high quality. Truly high-quality pearls are not easily found. In fact, most of the pearls I deal with have imperfections such as wounds or irregular shapes, alongside their exceptional qualities. I do not deal with pearls that are perfect in every aspect. In an era where regulations on people’s statements and behavior are becoming increasingly strict, I want to be gentle in the way I handle pearls. I aim to provide pearls that can be loved, including both their good and not-so-perfect aspects.
Trust over profits
I am a company employee and rely on my income for livelihood. Operating FlowerJem is essentially a side business for me. The catalyst for starting this venture was seeing a necklace intricately knotted with colored threads and feeling the urge to create something similar and share it with as many people as possible. In other words, I run this shop not for the sake of profit, but to showcase beautiful pearls. To sell pearls, it is essential that people trust me. As part of that process, I share my personal experiences and knowledge about Akoya clams and Akoya pearls on this website. Instead of providing a centralized evaluation akin to a private appraisal institution, I aim to fairly and objectively evaluate the allure of pearls from the perspective of pearls painstakingly crafted one by one. By doing so, I hope to help people gain a better understanding of these natural products created by living organisms. Trust is of utmost importance to me.
Prompt replies.
I respond to inquiries within 8 hours. Due to the time difference between Japan and Western countries, I may not be able to reply while I am asleep. However, regardless of whether it’s late at night or early in the morning, I will respond whenever I am awake. As I currently have a relatively small number of customers, I am able to accommodate this. I hope that someday I can say, “I am responding in the order received. You can expect a reply within 3 days.”
And More..
This site is owned by a single person. As the administrator of this site, I have been working for a company that has an Akoya pearl farm for nearly 10 years. Currently, there are about six companies in Japan that have farms for Akoya pearls and are engaged in wholesale, processing, and retail of Akoya pearls. As one of the few companies that do everything from cultivating to retailing Akoya pearls, I will share my experience and knowledge here.
[Like a picture, Pearls that have just been harvested from the sea. Raw, untouched pearls have a slight cream color.]
Akoya pearl farms have no knowledge or experience in processing or retailing. Also, processors and retailers do not know how Akoya pearls are made. I would like everyone to deepen their knowledge and interest in Akoya pearls, so I will spend some time writing about them.
As I explain pearls to my customers every day, I can find many people who are interested in the origins of pearls. They love it when I explain to them how pearls are grown. As a matter of fact, in the beginning I was not interested in pearls. Neither wearing pearls nor their existence was necessary in life. However, as I went to the Akoya pearl farm for work and interacted with customers, I became interested in pearls and came to understand the beauty of pearls. And I find that not only end-users, but also retailers and processors are often interested in what goes on in pearl farms. I would like everyone to know the knowledge and experience I have gained, no, I would be happy if it could be a reference for those who are interested.
Thank you.
From Flower Jem
This is an average adult size, The size of each shell is not that different. However, the size of the nucleus to be inserted is determined according to the size of each Akoya shellfish so as not to burden the Akoya shellfish. The size of the inserted nucleus is a major factor in determining the size of the pearl.
Akoya shellfish with open mouth, This is the state before inserting the “nucleus” which is the nucleus of the pearl. Akoya shellfish secrete nacre in the “nucleus” to form pearls. If the inserted Akoya shellfish has eggs, the pearl it forms will be cloudy in color. To prevent this from happening, Akoya shellfishes are stuffed into black boxes to weaken them so that they don’t have eggs.
