Akoya Pearl Necklace: All-Knotted with Elegant Green Thread

This is an Akoya pearl necklace, all knotted with green thread. Along with this necklace, I created others in blue, red, reddish-brown, mint green, and yellow threads on the same day.

The quality of the pearls in these necklaces is roughly the same. The nacre is thick, and while the pearls are baroque in shape, they have a smooth surface. Although the luster isn’t top-tier, it still has a strong shine.

What’s especially appealing is that the traditionally formal image of a pearl necklace takes on a casual, playful feel when made with colorful threads using the all-knot technique. If these were plastic beads, it might look like costume jewelry, but being made with Akoya pearls—a true gem—adds significant value.

It’s like a princess dressed in formal attire switching to casual wear, creating an endearing contrast. It retains elegance and grace but also conveys a more approachable vibe.

Personally, I liked the pink-threaded necklace the most, but as I experimented with various colors, I found it fascinating how the character of each pearl seemed to change depending on the thread color. The green-threaded necklace, to me, appears calm and sophisticated—more suited for a library than a theme park.

The yellow-threaded necklace, on the other hand, feels like it’s lounging elegantly on a sunny beach. The mint-green thread has an intriguing quiet presence, while the reddish-brown reminds me of acorns, perfect for the season.

These are just my personal impressions, of course, and others may see them differently.

This time, I used a thread of a different thickness than I usually do. Naturally, with finer threads, the knots between pearls are smaller, so less thread shows. On the other hand, with thicker thread, the knots are more prominent, emphasizing the all-knot technique.

The all-knot method itself seems to be quite old. I once had a 78-year-old boss who said all-knot necklaces were familiar in his generation. The reason for this technique was that silk threads commonly used back then were prone to breaking, causing pearls to scatter if the thread snapped. The knots prevent this by securing each pearl.

Today, polyester threads are commonly used, which are durable, so it’s not necessary to use the all-knot method. To me, with no prior knowledge of this background, all-knot necklaces simply seemed stylish. I remember being moved the first time I saw an all-knot necklace made with colored thread.

However, people from the older generation in the pearl industry often don’t see it as special. Many even have negative memories of the laborious all-knotting process. I remember hearing, “When I was young, we’d make several all-knot necklaces in a day—it was exhausting.”

When I asked someone to teach me the technique, most said, “You don’t need to learn that now” or “No, it’s too much hassle.”

I remember when bell-bottom pants became a fashion trend in my twenties. My mother’s reaction was, “Bell-bottoms were in style when I was young; I wouldn’t want to wear those again.”

In that sense, the older generation’s view on all-knot necklaces is similar to my mother’s reaction to bell-bottoms.

In the end, though, I’ve fallen in love with colorful thread necklaces.

From a business perspective, there is a trend for pearl products led by brands like Mikimoto. Many pearl companies follow their lead, and customers then recognize these products as the latest trend.

If I wanted to make substantial profits from pearls, I’d need to work with round pearls and perhaps forego all-knotting for more fashionable clasps.

But as a fan of the natural blue hue of Akoya pearls, I can’t do that.

In pearl farms, all Akoya oysters receive equal care. Even so, round pearls are valued for their shape, while beautiful baroque pearls are often undervalued.

I hope that era of “as long as you’re good at academics, you’ll succeed” is behind us. Baroque pearls with strong luster and deep nacre are precious. Even perfectly round pearls with thin, dull nacre lack charm, in my opinion. However, the market overwhelmingly favors round pearls.

I’m trying to advocate for the appeal of baroque pearls, though realistically, it’s usually only baroque enthusiasts who appreciate them. Over the past ten years, I’ve only been able to convince a handful of people of baroque pearls’ beauty. Of course, it depends on individual values.

Some people simply want round pearls because they hear they’re the best. For such people, I want to convey the essence of pearls—the value of both round and baroque shapes, along with the importance of luster and nacre thickness.

Baroque-shaped necklaces and bracelets can also be more suitable for everyday wear. Pearl products aren’t inexpensive, yet formal necklaces often sit unused in drawers.

As someone who deals in pearls, I strongly wish that more people could enjoy their pearl jewelry regularly.

Now, it’s October 7th, 2024. The heat has eased during the day, and it’s quite cool in the mornings and evenings. I left my position at a pearl company this March, and I now work as the manager of a frozen food factory at the invitation of a college classmate.

I previously spent two years as a bartender and restaurant manager, but I’m a complete novice in food manufacturing. After six months, I’m still learning the ropes as a factory manager.

Incidentally, my bartending job was also because of a friend’s invitation. Although I enjoy drinking, I had never made cocktails before.

Since my friend and I built the bar from scratch, I had to discreetly look up “Grasshopper recipe” on my phone, hidden in a fridge, to make a cocktail on our first night.

While I kept a cool expression, inside I was incredibly nervous. Even so, shaking a cocktail shaker every night earned me “cool” comments from young women who clearly didn’t know any better.

One memorable night, a smug gentleman and his friendly date came to the bar. He told me, “Make us something with the shaker,” and his date was clearly impressed by his “knowledge.”

Given my exhaustion from running the bar with just my friend until early morning every night, I decided to have some fun. I placed a blender in front of the couple, poured in some alcohol, and let it whirl.

The woman was thrilled, exclaiming, “Wow, that’s amazing!” while the man looked completely bewildered.

Such episodes are now fond memories, but today I’m working in a food factory.

After all, most pearl companies focus on round pearls, and none handle all-knot products, so I saw no need to stay in the pearl industry.

My new job is physically demanding, leaving me quite tired. I hope that excuses the scattered nature of this article.

Buying from a small-scale shop like mine may feel risky to some. However, because we’re small, even a single negative review could be disastrous, so I take great care with each customer.

 

I tend to understate my pearls’ quality, rating them at around 65–70% even if they’re actually around 80%, because I fear reviews that say “it looked different in the photos.” As a result, most customers are very satisfied.

Also, I generally accept returns. I’ve only had one return, from a Japanese customer, which was a valuable lesson for me. It taught me to communicate not only the pearl’s positive attributes but also any possible drawbacks.

When I photograph my pearls, I intentionally include close-ups of imperfections.

Even with my experience, I’m sure I still have areas to improve, but my dog Lulu helps me through it all.

As a final note, I worked at one of the largest pearl farms in Japan, gaining extensive experience in sorting a high volume of pearls and learning about Akoya oysters, their care, and the farming process.

In Kobe alone, there are over a hundred pearl companies, some spanning three generations. Through my experience, I know a great deal about Akoya oysters and pearl farming.

Since I have such a deep connection to pearl farming, I can’t bring myself to sell products that disrespect these pearls. I know the labor and dedication that go into cultivating pearls.

One drawback, however, is that I have limited retail experience. As you can see, I tend to write product descriptions more like a diary.

I occasionally study marketing, but time is limited. With plenty of pearls in stock and a passion for jewelry-making, focusing on websites and marketing is challenging.

For now, the most important thing for me is to treat each customer like a friend.

People who come to appreciate my favorite pearls feel almost closer than friends; I feel a deep connection to them.

This product description may seem to wander, but if you’re interested, please also check out the video on YouTube.

 

The video shows the entire process of making this necklace, with no edits, so while you may not get precise instructions, you’ll see the pearls’ quality up close.

Thank you for reading to the end.