Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
From the sea to the classroom, GIA researcher Tao Hsu recently traveled to Japan to experience akoya pearl cultivation firsthand.
In November 2025, she visited three large-scale pearl farms in Nagasaki—home to nearly half of Japan’s akoya pearl production—where millions of mollusks are carefully cultivated. She also toured a pearl processing facility in Kobe and attended the Japan Pearl Fair, connecting with industry experts and discovering the latest trends.
These behind-the-scenes insights are now helping shape updates to GIA’s pearl curriculum—ensuring students learn from the most current, source-based knowledge.
Learn more about GIA’s Graduate Pearls program: bit.ly/3PzfYUO
From the sea to the classroom, GIA researcher Tao Hsu recently traveled to Japan to experience akoya pearl cultivation firsthand.
In November 2025, she visited three large-scale pearl farms in Nagasaki—home to nearly half of Japan’s akoya pearl production—where millions of mollusks are carefully cultivated. She also toured a pearl processing facility in Kobe and attended the Japan Pearl Fair, connecting with industry experts and discovering the latest trends.
These behind-the-scenes insights are now helping shape updates to GIA’s pearl curriculum—ensuring students learn from the most current, source-based knowledge.
Learn more about GIA’s Graduate Pearls program: bit.ly/3PzfYUO
