process

Pearl Processing

"kuzu."

Some pearls never had a chance...

Hama-age: (Pronounced "hah-mah-ah-ghay") Akova cultured pearl raw material in its
pre-processed state. The term is used for good quality material. A lower grade
is called "do-dama," and the lowest grade is called "kuzu." The very top grade is
called "hana-dama."

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"hana-dama." "kuzu." "hana-dama." "do-dama" pearl Drilling Sorting

The above are various grades of hama-age (raw pearls before processing)

The pearls collected from Sea water Oysters or fresh water mussels need cleaning and processing before use. The pearls are cleaned with chemicals, given surface shining through buffing and drilled with holes. Normally about 90% of pearls are drilled with holes for making chains and the balance 10% without holes are used in ornaments like rings The pearls during processing may loose their natural shade and become purely white depending on the process and customer requirement.