ForMatter/Materials/gemstone/Akoya Pearl (Cultured Saltwater)
mat_gem_pearl_akoya

Akoya Pearl (Cultured Saltwater)

biomineral (CaCO₃ aragonite + organic conchiolin), saltwater cultured pearl · Akoya cultured pearl, Japanese saltwater pearl, Mikimoto-style pearl
highlast updated 2026-04-27
metallic 0.00
hue shift +0°

Cultured saltwater pearl from the Akoya oyster (Pinctada fucata martensii) — the canonical small-round white pearl of the post-1920s jewelry world, after the Mise–Nishikawa bead-nucleation method (licensed by Mikimoto and others through patents granted from 1916) scaled into commercial production. Layered nacre — calcium-carbonate platelets in protein matrix — produces the characteristic pearlescent surface. Typically 5–9 mm; larger sizes are South Sea or Tahitian territory.

Cultured pearl: shell-bead nucleus (typically Mississippi River freshwater mussel) implanted into oyster mantle, secreted nacre layers (aragonite CaCO₃ platelets ~500 nm thick + conchiolin protein) accumulate over 1–2 years. Mohs 2.5–4.5 (the soft side of jewelry stones). Specific gravity 2.71. Pearlescence from thin-film interference + Bragg-like diffraction in the layered structure. Sensitive to acids (cosmetics, perfume, sweat); pearls require wear-and-store hygiene.

mechanical

  • mohs_hardness3.5
  • specific_gravity2.71
source: GIA Pearl Quality Factors

optical

  • refractive_index1.53
source: GIA

Sustainability

  • embodied carbon kg co2e per pearl0.05
  • recyclabilityhigh — secondhand pearl market mature; pearls do not easily re-cut but re-string and re-set indefinitely
  • biodegradableTrue
  • certificationsGIA pearl-grading report
  • localityprimary culturing: Japan (Mie, Ehime), China (Zhejiang), Vietnam
visual
white to cream body with rosé / silver / green overtones, characteristic mirror-like "luster"
tactile
slightly gritty against the front teeth — the GIA tooth-test for pearl authenticity

PBR starter values

Principled BSDF defaults derived from the sphere pearlescent finish. Reasonable seed for Blender, Substance, Keyshot, Rhino — tune per material.

# finish:      pearlescent
albedo        #f0e8e0
metallic      0.00
roughness     0.35
ior           1.50
transmission  0.10
clearcoat     0.40
sheen         0.80
anisotropic   0.00
copy as JSON 
{
  "albedo": "#f0e8e0",
  "metallic": 0.0,
  "roughness": 0.35,
  "ior": 1.5,
  "transmission": 0.1,
  "clearcoat": 0.4,
  "sheen": 0.8,
  "anisotropic": 0.0
}
Blender 4.x Python 
# Blender 4.x — Principled BSDF
# Akoya Pearl (Cultured Saltwater) · finish: pearlescent
import bpy
mat = bpy.data.materials.new(name="mat_gem_pearl_akoya")
mat.use_nodes = True
bsdf = mat.node_tree.nodes["Principled BSDF"]
bsdf.inputs["Base Color"].default_value         = (0.8714, 0.807, 0.7454, 1.0)
bsdf.inputs["Metallic"].default_value           = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Roughness"].default_value          = 0.350
bsdf.inputs["IOR"].default_value                = 1.500
bsdf.inputs["Transmission Weight"].default_value = 0.100
bsdf.inputs["Coat Weight"].default_value        = 0.400
bsdf.inputs["Sheen Weight"].default_value       = 0.800
bsdf.inputs["Anisotropic"].default_value        = 0.000
KeyShot Python (lux) 
# KeyShot 11+ — lux Python API, Generic material
# Akoya Pearl (Cultured Saltwater) · finish: pearlescent
# Run from Window → Scripting Console
import lux
mat = lux.createMaterial(name="mat_gem_pearl_akoya", materialType="Generic")
mat.setProperty("diffuse",      (240, 232, 224))   # 8-bit sRGB
mat.setProperty("metallic",     0.000)
mat.setProperty("roughness",    0.350)
mat.setProperty("indexOfRefraction", 1.500)
mat.setProperty("transparency", 0.100)
mat.setProperty("coatingWeight", 0.400)
Substance pbrMetalRough 
{
  "_format": "Substance Designer / Painter \u2014 pbrMetalRough constants",
  "_about": "Akoya Pearl (Cultured Saltwater) \u00b7 finish: pearlescent",
  "baseColor": {
    "r": 0.8714,
    "g": 0.807,
    "b": 0.7454
  },
  "metallic": 0.0,
  "roughness": 0.35,
  "ior": 1.5,
  "opacity": 0.9,
  "anisotropyLevel": 0.0,
  "_notes": "Channels listed are the standard Substance pbrMetalRough output. Drop into a Uniform Color node per channel, or as the constant input on a layered stack."
}
glTF 2.0 Metallic-Roughness 
{
  "asset": {
    "version": "2.0",
    "generator": "ForMatter"
  },
  "materials": [
    {
      "name": "mat_gem_pearl_akoya",
      "pbrMetallicRoughness": {
        "baseColorFactor": [
          0.8714,
          0.807,
          0.7454,
          1.0
        ],
        "metallicFactor": 0.0,
        "roughnessFactor": 0.35
      },
      "extensions": {
        "KHR_materials_transmission": {
          "transmissionFactor": 0.1
        },
        "KHR_materials_clearcoat": {
          "clearcoatFactor": 0.4
        },
        "KHR_materials_sheen": {
          "sheenColorFactor": [
            1.0,
            1.0,
            1.0
          ],
          "sheenRoughnessFactor": 0.8
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}
USD Preview Surface 
# USD Preview Surface — UsdShade.MaterialLook prim attributes
# Akoya Pearl (Cultured Saltwater) · finish: pearlescent
def Material "mat_gem_pearl_akoya" {
    token outputs:surface.connect = </mat_gem_pearl_akoya/PreviewSurface.outputs:surface>

    def Shader "PreviewSurface" {
        uniform token info:id = "UsdPreviewSurface"
        color3f inputs:diffuseColor = (0.8714, 0.807, 0.7454)
        float   inputs:metallic     = 0.000
        float   inputs:roughness    = 0.350
        float   inputs:ior          = 1.500
        float   inputs:opacity      = 0.900
        float   inputs:clearcoat    = 0.400
        token   outputs:surface
    }
}
↓ download glTF material
Substitutes
Tahitian Pearl (Cultured Saltwater)

Citations