Hanadama at 11–12 mm: A Rare Aurora Hanadama® Akoya Strand

Rare Collectibles · May 2023

Japanese Akoya pearls almost never reach 11 mm. When they do, they rarely keep the luster and clean surface that Hanadama demands. This strand does both: a full strand of Hanadama Akoya pearls measuring 11 to 12 mm, certified Aurora Hanadama® by Pearl Science Laboratory (PSL), with luster rated at the top of PSL’s scale.

Why 11 mm Hanadama is so hard to find

The Akoya oyster is small, about the size of a palm. Most of the pearls it grows measure 6 to 8 mm, and the trade treats anything above 10 mm as rare. To grow an 11 or 12 mm Akoya, a farmer has to implant a bead close to the limit of what the oyster can carry, then keep it alive and feeding for extra seasons. Many oysters don’t survive the strain, and most of the large pearls that come out show spots, dull patches or uneven shapes.

Hanadama asks for the opposite of all that. To earn PSL’s Aurora Hanadama®, a strand must meet five published criteria: size of at least 6 mm, nacre at least 0.4 mm thick, a round shape, a nearly flawless surface and, weighted most of all, top luster. (Our Hanadama & Tennyo guide explains each one.) Size is the easy part here. Keeping the other four at 11 to 12 mm is what makes a strand like this so scarce.

• 11–12 mmNear the upper limit of what the Akoya oyster can grow. Most Akoya are 6 to 8 mm.
• StrongestPSL’s luster (teri) rating for this strand: 最強, the top of its scale.
• Very slightPSL’s surface rating (微): the cleanest grade it gives.

Then the pearls have to match. Every pearl on a strand should agree in size, roundness, color and overtone, so building one strand of 11 to 12 mm Hanadama means sorting through a great many large pearls to find enough that belong together.

Hanadama (花珠) means “flower pearl,” the finest of the harvest. At 11 to 12 mm, it is the finest of a very small harvest.

See it in hand

Photos flatten pearls. In the hand you can see what the report measures: how each pearl throws back a sharp reflection, and how a soft rose overtone sits over the white body color. Scale matters too. At 11 to 12 mm, each pearl is close to the size of a fingertip, which gives the strand a weight and presence that standard Akoya simply don’t have.

Reading this strand’s report

Aurora Hanadama® strands carry PSL’s SS-type report. Here is what this one says, in plain terms.

On the report	Reads	What it means
真珠の種類 (pearl type)	アコヤ真珠	Akoya pearl, saltwater
特別呼称 (special name)	オーロラ花珠	Aurora Hanadama®, PSL’s certified Hanadama
サイズ (size)	約11.0–12.0 mm	Roughly 11 to 12 mm across the strand
テリ (luster)	最強	Strongest: the top of PSL’s luster scale
きず (surface)	微	Very slight, PSL’s cleanest surface rating

Hanadama, and where Tennyo fits

Aurora Hanadama® is PSL’s certified version of the trade’s “best of the harvest” white Akoya. Above it sits Aurora Tennyo®, a further selection made on luster and color alone. Both are rare at any size; above 10 mm, either one is an event. Read what Tennyo means, or browse the rest of our Rare Collectibles.

Frequently asked questions

Also in Rare Collectibles: Aurora Venus® South Sea, 17–18.7 mm.
Learn more: Hanadama & Tennyo pearls: PSL grading explained · Akoya pearl guide