South Sea Pearls (Noble Pearls)
Generally speaking, South Sea pearls are the largest of all
pearls. Their diameter varies
from 9 to 17mm or larger. South Sea pearls are also distinguished
from all other pearls by its magnificent thick natural nacre, smoother and of rounder shape. Therefore, they are considered as noble pearls and are
cherished by many people. A. Origin of South Sea
Pearls
South Sea pearls are cultured
in tropical and semi-tropical regions
called the South Seas. The South
Seas lie between the northern coast of Australia and the southern coast of
China, i.e. areas around the coast of
Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. These warm waters are
the native habitat of the large oyster, the Pinctada maxima, which are kept
to culture the pearls. B. How to culture south
sea pearls?
The South Sea pearls are bead-nucleated cultured
pearls. They come from
the oyster, Pinctada maxima. There
are two varieties of Pinctada maxima: the silver-lipped and the
gold-lipped. The two are distinguished
by the coloration of the outer edge of the interior. Pearl farmers implant a shell bead into the shell of an
oyster to irritate it. In order
to protect itself from the irritation, a defense mechanism of the oyster
kicks-in and coats the bead with layer after layer. The layer of protection is called nacre, or mother-of-pearl, which eventually becomes
thick enough to form a pearl. The South Sea oyster will
only accept one nucleation at a time. The oyster is nucleated when it is only
about half developed, about 24 months old. Although the oyster will only handle one nucleus
at a time, this oyster can be nucleated up to three times over the course of
many years. C. Size of South Sea
Pearls
South Sea pearls are much
larger than average pearls.
Their size ranges from 9mm to 15mm or above and the nacre is also very
thicker than other pearls. It is
because: 1.
the oyster that
produces South Sea pearls is much larger than oysters that produce freshwater
pearls. These oysters can be
nucleated with a much larger bead and it allows the South Sea pearls can grow
to larger sizes. 2.
larger oysters can
deposit nacre around the nucleus
at a much quicker rate, especially in warm water which speeds the oyster¢s metabolism. 3.
The length of time the
pearl is left to grow in the oyster: The growth period for South Sea pearls
is at least 2 years. 4.
The environment: The
South Seas is very clean and filled with plankton – the Pinctada maxima¢s favorite food source. The clean waters and
abundant food supply speeds the nacre
production. However, due to the rarity
and sensitivity of the pinctada maxima, the farming of South Sea pearls is
quite challenging, and thus the pearls are costly. D. Shapes of South Sea
Pearls
Shapes of South Sea pearls include round, teardrop,
semi-round, circle, oval, button and baroque etc. Perfect round and teardrop shapes are extremely rare and
they are the most desirable and valuable. Though other shapes are less valuable, they do have their
own unique appealing. The pearls will be measured
with a caliper. If the variation
in the circumference is less than 2%, it is regarded as perfectly round. If a pearl that appears to be round
to the eye, but when measured with a caliper, the variation in the
circumference is 2% or more, it is regarded as semi-round. E. Colors of South Sea
Pearls
Common colors are white, silver,
cream and golden. The natural
golden color is considered to be the rarest and most cherished, but they can
also come in shades of yellow or blue-gray with pink or green overtones. F. Black South Sea
Pearls (Tahitian Pearls)
Black South Sea
pearls, also called Tahitian Pearls, are known for their beautiful colors. The
pearls are unique because of their natural dark colors. The colors produced vary widely from purple, green, black
and shades from gray to cream and even white. The rarest and highly sought
after color is "peacock green" (the greenish black color of a
peacock feather). Most
"black" Tahitian pearls are not actually black, but are instead
gray, silver, charcoal, or similar shades. Truly black pearls are extremely rare. Contact Us For any further queries, please feel free to
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