Genuine Japanese Akoya pearl powder for cosmetic formulators: the nacre of Akoya pearls (Pinctada fucata) with the nucleus removed, milled to 280 mesh, non-calcined. INCI: Pearl Powder. Single ingredient, no fillers or carriers, with a specification, process description and SDS for the grade.
Tell us what you are formulating and which documents your assessment needs. We reply from Japan within one working day with the product specification; the documents your project requires are obtained from the producer for your order.
This grade is genuine pearl nacre: Akoya pearls are selected, crushed and the nucleus removed, so only the nacre goes into the powder. It is non-calcined, with no heat firing step, which keeps the aragonite crystal form of natural nacre. The powder is sterilised, washed, dried, milled and sieved to 280 mesh before filling and inspection.
Step 1 · raw material
Akoya pearls, Japan
Step 2 · nacre only
The pearl nucleus is removed
Step 3 · cleaning
Before drying
Step 4 · drying
Nacre fragments
Step 5 · milling
To a fine powder
Step 6 · 280 mesh
Residue max. 0.5%
Step 7 · packing
Product inspection before release
The grade on this page. Other grades, where available, are specified on request.
A Japanese trading company selling directly to brand owners and contract manufacturers. No distributor layer between you and the documents.
The specification on request, and the documents your market assessment requires obtained from the producer for your order. We state plainly what is on file and what is not.
A first order at the minimum lets you run a pilot batch before committing to volume. Price and MOQ are quoted for your project.
For registered companies developing a product. Tell us the format and the stage at which you add actives, and we will say honestly what to expect.
After payment is received, when stock is available. Freight quoted on request. Check the storage conditions of each ingredient and plan storage on arrival.
If you are comparing ingredients for a new formula, these questions save a round of email.
This grade is nacre from the pearl itself with the nucleus removed, INCI Pearl Powder. If your brief calls for mother-of-pearl (shell nacre), that is a different grade with a different specification: ask for both specs side by side before you decide.
At 280 mesh the powder suits masks and loose or pressed powders. For an even texture in a light cream, test the sample in your base first; a micronised shell nacre grade exists if you need a finer powder.
The grade is made solely from Akoya pearl nacre, so the word pearl on your label is backed by the specification and the process description. Keep the INCI name Pearl Powder on the ingredient list.
The grade is specified by sieve residue, not by a number-based distribution, so we make no nano statement. If your market requires one, say so before ordering so we can ask the producer about a measurement.
Specification, process description and SDS are available for this grade. A lot certificate of analysis and anything beyond these are requested from the producer for your order, so list them early.
What the ingredient is, how it is supplied, and what the published science on the raw material has examined. No efficacy claims; the specification is available on request.
This page covers the pearl nacre grade of our Akoya pearl powder, the grade whose SDS states cosmetic use. It is genuine pearl powder made solely from the nacre of Akoya pearls (Pinctada fucata), with the pearl nucleus removed, milled to 280 mesh and non-calcined. INCI: Pearl Powder. Single ingredient: no fillers, carriers or anti-caking agents.
We name the grade on every specification, SDS and quotation, so your label and your lab file say the same thing. The shell nacre grade (mother-of-pearl, micronised to about 2 µm) is a separate product, specified on our Akoya pearl powder page for functional food; its SDS does not state cosmetic use.
Pearl powder is a mineral and does not dissolve in water. At 280 mesh it suits masks and loose or pressed powders; in creams it can pill and in oils it can settle, so we recommend a dispersion trial in your own base before scaling. The producer specifies no usage level, so set it in your own trials. If you need a finer powder for an even texture in a light emulsion, ask about the micronised shell nacre grade and compare the two specifications side by side.
Related cosmetic ingredients from Japan: see the cosmetic ingredients catalog, including Rose Placenta Extract BG.
Nacre, also called mother-of-pearl, is the iridescent layer the Akoya oyster lays down, in thin platelets, on the inside of its shell and around a pearl. Pearl nacre is laid down by the pearl sac, shell nacre by the mantle; their composition is very close, but they are different raw materials. This grade is pearl nacre only.
The Akoya pearl oyster is a marine bivalve, Pinctada fucata (also listed as Pinctada fucata martensii or Pinctada martensii). It is a saltwater species, not a freshwater mussel.
In INCI nomenclature, Pearl Powder covers ground freshwater or saltwater pearls, and Nacre Powder covers powder from mother of pearl. The INCI name alone does not tell you the species or whether the source is marine, which is why the specification and process description matter.
Pearl and nacre are about 95% calcium carbonate and about 5% organic matter, mainly a protein matrix known as conchiolin (review, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 2021). The producer's typical composition for this grade is calcium carbonate 92.1%, conchiolin 4.7%, moisture 1.0% and trace minerals 2.2%.
Calcination changes the crystal form: in one study, 30 minutes at 400 °C partly converted the aragonite in pearl powder to calcite and fully converted it in shell powder. That is why we state that this grade is non-calcined. If you run an identity test, published methods tell pearl nacre and shell nacre apart by how their aragonite changes on heating.
Particle size decides where a powder fits. A 280 mesh powder suits masks and face powders; a micronised powder is the natural choice where an even, fine texture in an emulsion matters. This grade is specified by sieve residue; a number-based distribution has not been measured, so no nano or non-nano statement is made.
Free sample for registered companies. Specification on request; price and MOQ quoted for your project.
Request a sample or quotationThis page covers the pearl nacre grade of our Akoya pearl powder, the grade whose SDS states cosmetic use. It is genuine pearl powder made solely from the nacre of Akoya pearls (Pinctada fucata), with the pearl nucleus removed, milled to 280 mesh and non-calcined. INCI: Pearl Powder. Single ingredient: no fillers, carriers or anti-caking agents.
We name the grade on every specification, SDS and quotation, so your label and your lab file say the same thing. The shell nacre grade (mother-of-pearl, micronised to about 2 µm) is a separate product, specified on our Akoya pearl powder page for functional food; its SDS does not state cosmetic use.
Pearl powder is a mineral and does not dissolve in water. At 280 mesh it suits masks and loose or pressed powders; in creams it can pill and in oils it can settle, so we recommend a dispersion trial in your own base before scaling. The producer specifies no usage level, so set it in your own trials. If you need a finer powder for an even texture in a light emulsion, ask about the micronised shell nacre grade and compare the two specifications side by side.
Related cosmetic ingredients from Japan: see the cosmetic ingredients catalog, including Rose Placenta Extract BG.
Nacre, also called mother-of-pearl, is the iridescent layer the Akoya oyster lays down, in thin platelets, on the inside of its shell and around a pearl. Pearl nacre is laid down by the pearl sac, shell nacre by the mantle; their composition is very close, but they are different raw materials. This grade is pearl nacre only.
The Akoya pearl oyster is a marine bivalve, Pinctada fucata (also listed as Pinctada fucata martensii or Pinctada martensii). It is a saltwater species, not a freshwater mussel.
In INCI nomenclature, Pearl Powder covers ground freshwater or saltwater pearls, and Nacre Powder covers powder from mother of pearl. The INCI name alone does not tell you the species or whether the source is marine, which is why the specification and process description matter.
Pearl and nacre are about 95% calcium carbonate and about 5% organic matter, mainly a protein matrix known as conchiolin (review, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 2021). The producer's typical composition for this grade is calcium carbonate 92.1%, conchiolin 4.7%, moisture 1.0% and trace minerals 2.2%.
Calcination changes the crystal form: in one study, 30 minutes at 400 °C partly converted the aragonite in pearl powder to calcite and fully converted it in shell powder. That is why we state that this grade is non-calcined. If you run an identity test, published methods tell pearl nacre and shell nacre apart by how their aragonite changes on heating.
Particle size decides where a powder fits. A 280 mesh powder suits masks and face powders; a micronised powder is the natural choice where an even, fine texture in an emulsion matters. This grade is specified by sieve residue; a number-based distribution has not been measured, so no nano or non-nano statement is made.
Our company is based in Japan and has been exporting high-quality raw materials and dietary supplements since 2022. We collaborate with leading manufacturers and develop products that are valued for their purity, safety, and effectiveness. We work with small and medium-sized businesses to help launch your brand or expand your product line.
From pearls. This grade is made solely from the nacre of Akoya pearls (Pinctada fucata) with the pearl nucleus removed. The shell nacre grade (mother-of-pearl) is a separate product on our functional food pages.
INCI Pearl Powder. The grade comes with a specification, a process description and an SDS that states cosmetic use. A lot certificate of analysis is requested from the producer for your order.
The minimum order is 500 g; the price is quoted on request for your volume. Orders ship from Japan 1-1.5 weeks after payment when stock is available. Payment is 100% prepayment by SWIFT or Stripe, and freight is quoted per order.
Yes: a 20 g evaluation sample on request for registered businesses. Pearl powder is an insoluble mineral powder at 280 mesh, so run a dispersion trial in your own base: it can pill in creams and settle in oils, while masks and powders take it as it is.
