Learn About Pearls

Where Are Pearls Farmed? A Map of Pearl Regions

The map below shows where each pearl type in the Learn About Pearls dataset is mainly farmed, from Japan and China to Australia and French Polynesia. Pick a type to see its countries.

The map#

The countries come from the dataset’s records, and the table below the map gives each record’s sources.

Japan Japan China China Vietnam Vietnam Australia Australia Indonesia Indonesia the Philippines Philippines Myanmar Myanmar French Polynesia French Polynesia
The main producing countries of each pearl type in the Learn About Pearls dataset. Drawn for Learn About Pearls from Natural Earth's public-domain map data.
Text version of this map
  • Akoya cultured pearl: Japan, China, Vietnam.1 2 3
  • Freshwater cultured pearl: China.1 3 4
  • Keshi cultured pearl: Japan, China, Vietnam, Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar, French Polynesia (wherever South Sea, Tahitian and Akoya cultured pearls are farmed).5
  • South Sea cultured pearl: Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar.1 4 5 6
  • Tahitian cultured pearl: French Polynesia.1 4 5
Main producing regions of each pearl type, from the Learn About Pearls dataset
Pearl typeMain producing regions
Akoya cultured pearl Japan, China and Vietnam1 2 3
Freshwater cultured pearl China1 3 4
Keshi cultured pearl wherever South Sea, Tahitian and Akoya cultured pearls are farmed5
South Sea cultured pearl Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Myanmar1 4 5 6
Tahitian cultured pearl French Polynesia1 4 5

What the map shows#

The map shows only the main producing countries in the dataset. Cultured pearl production supports industries in more than 30 countries,7 and CIBJO’s 2025 guide, for example, lists Australia as a newer producer of Akoya cultured pearls.3 Keshi form wherever South Sea, Tahitian and Akoya cultured pearls are farmed, so the map gives keshi the countries of those three types.5 The country outlines come from Natural Earth, which puts its map data in the public domain.8

The page where pearls come from covers production country by country, and compare pearl types sets the types side by side.

References#

  1. Fisheries Agency of Japan (水産庁) (2026). 真珠養殖をめぐる情勢について (On the situation of pearl culture). Source · Archived copy
  2. Phoebe Shang (2026). Freshwater Akoyas – A Trending Misnomer for Certain Freshwater Pearls. Source · Archived copy
  3. CIBJO Pearl Commission (2025). CIBJO Guides Describing and Classifying Natural and Cultured Pearls, the Producing Molluscs & Responsible Pearling. Source · Archived copy
  4. Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Gem Encyclopedia. Pearl Description. Source · Archived copy
  5. CIBJO, The World Jewellery Confederation, Pearl Commission (2026). The CIBJO Pearl Book (Pearl Blue Book) 2026. Source · Archived copy
  6. Artitaya Homkrajae, Nanthaporn Nilpetploy, Areeya Manustrong, Nicholas Sturman, Kwanreun Lawanwong and Promlikit Kessrapong (2021). Internal Structures of Known Pinctada maxima Pearls: Cultured Pearls from Operated Marine Mollusks. Source · DOI 10.5741/GEMS.57.3.186 · Archived copy
  7. Changbo Zhu, Paul C. Southgate and Ting Li (2019). Production of Pearls. Source · DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-96776-9_5 · Archived copy
  8. Natural Earth. Terms of Use. Source · Archived copy
Written by
Learn About Pearls editors
Fact-checked
Learn About Pearls editors,
Reviewed by
Simon,
First published
Publisher
Unique Pearl, a pearl jeweler
Revision history
  1. : First published. First published
How to cite this page
APA
Learn About Pearls editors. (2026). Where Are Pearls Farmed? A Map of Pearl Regions. Learn About Pearls. https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/pearl-producing-regions-map/
MLA
“Where Are Pearls Farmed? A Map of Pearl Regions.” Learn About Pearls, Unique Pearl, November 4, 2026, learnaboutpearls.com/tools/pearl-producing-regions-map/.
Chicago
Learn About Pearls editors. “Where Are Pearls Farmed? A Map of Pearl Regions.” Learn About Pearls. Unique Pearl. Last modified November 4, 2026. https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/pearl-producing-regions-map/.
BibTeX
@misc{lap-tools-pearl-producing-regions-map, title = {Where Are Pearls Farmed? A Map of Pearl Regions}, author = {{Learn About Pearls editors}}, year = {2026}, howpublished = {\url{https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/pearl-producing-regions-map/}}, note = {Learn About Pearls, published by Unique Pearl}}

Quoting with attribution and a link is welcome. See how to cite and reuse.

Suggest a correction

We use your email address only to reply to you.

  • Where pearls come from: The mollusks that grow pearls, the countries that farm each type, and the old natural pearl fisheries.
  • Pearl types: Akoya, freshwater, South Sea, Tahitian and keshi pearls, and where each one comes from.
  • Compare pearl types: The five pearl types in the dataset in one table, with types and rows you can hide.