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South Sea Pearls
South sea
Pearl jewelry are made from fine quality cultured south sea Pearls from
the waters of Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. South
Seal Pearls is a generic name for the Pearls, usually 9mm-16mm in size,
produced by the two groups of large Pearl producing oysters. These
oysters can grow to 25-30 cm in size, and are much rarer than their
Akoya counterparts. Australian Pearl divers dive for south sea Pearl
oysters to be used in the cultured south sea Pearl industry. The catch
of Pearl oysters is similar to the numbers of oysters taken during the
natural Pearl days. Hence significant numbers of natural Pearls are
still found in the Australian Indian Ocean waters from wild oysters.
X-Ray examination is required to positively verify natural Pearls found
today.
From the Rarest Oysters
South Sea Pearls grow in the rarest, largest and most
solitary oysters in the world – Pinctada maxima, which exists only on an
extremely limited number of shell beds in the tropical waters referred
to as the South Seas – hence the name of the Pearl. This area of ocean
stretches around the north coast of Australia, Indonesia and the
Philippines. This humble but amazing alchemist converts the minerals
filtered from the ocean into the most sought after Pearls in the world –
the white and gold South Sea Pearls: Pearls from which dreams are made.
South Sea Pearls are known for their exceptional quality and beauty.
They are the most extraordinary Pearls worn as jewelry. South Sea Pearls
are distinguished from all others by their magnificently thick natural
coating of nacre resulting in an unequalled lustre, which does not only
deliver shine, but a complex iridescence that shimmers and shifts almost
magically under different light conditions. Every Pearl is unique due to
the complex and subtle influence of the ocean environment. The ocean’s
ever changing mood is reflected in the incredible variety of South Sea
Pearls. A perfectly spherical South Sea Pearl is the zenith of gems and
why, nurtured by the pristine tropical waters of Indonesia, beautiful
Atlas South Sea Pearls are a miracle of nature and human endeavour.
South Sea Pearls are Beautiful with a Unique Hue
The South Sea Pearl is a natural precious gem, the only gem from a
living organism. Its process of coming into the world is worthy to be
called a Miracle. The whole process of perliculture is like a journey or
an adventure. You do not know what challenges you may face but the
rewards are great if you pursue it with all your heart and soul. Working
with nature is a wonderful experience and at the same time an
unpredictable one. Many natural variables take into effect once the
process starts. From the hatchery, to grow out, to its operation and
impending harvest, the Pearl farmers must constantly be on the look out
for natural's shifts in the environment. A slight change in temperature,
a movement in the direction of the wind or the strength of the water
current can have an immense effect on the quality of the Pearl.
Among the Largest in the World
South Sea Pearls are among the largest commercially harvested cultured
Pearls in the world. The average size of a South Sea Pearl is 13 mm,
with most harvests producing a range of sizes from 9 mm to 20 mm. The
South Seas lie between the northern coast of Australia and the southern
coast of China. These waters are the native habitat of a large oyster
known as Pinctada maxima. This oyster grows up to 12 inches in diameter,
and can be nucleated with a much larger bead than other saltwater
oysters such as the akoya. Cultured Australian South Sea Pearls,
considered to be ‘Queen of Pearls’ due to their superb lustre and size,
are grown inside the Pinctada Maxima - the world’s largest
Pearl-producing oyster.
Tahiti Cultured Pearls
Tahiti cultured Pearls are Pearl concretions
that are secreted inside the black-lipped Pinctada Margaritifera species
of Pearl oysters cultivated mainly in the lagoons of French Polynesia.
They consist of thick Pearly layers containing organic substances..
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What is a Pearl?
A Pearl is a smooth, round growth formed naturally within
the shell of a mollusk due to an irritant and used as a
gem. A Pearl is a hard, roundish object produced within
the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living
shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of mollusks, a
Pearl is composed of calcium carbonate in minute
crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric
layers. The ideal Pearl is perfectly round...
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The Birth of a Pearl
The birth of a Pearl is truly a miraculous event. Unlike
gemstones or precious metals; which must be mined from the earth, Pearls
are grown by live oysters far below the surface of the sea. Gemstones
must be cut and polished to bring out their beauty...
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The History of Pearls
No one will ever know who were the earliest people to collect and wear Pearls. George Frederick Kunz a gemologist in his 1908 masterpiece - The Book of the Pearl, states his belief that an ancient fish-eating tribe, perhaps along the coast...
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Natural Pearls
A natural Pearl is a Pearl that forms in nature with no
human intervention. Natural Pearls, What is a Natural
Pearl Natural Pearls are grown in wild oysters. The
process begins when an irritant, such as a grain of sand
or a piece of shell, gets inside an oyster's shell...
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Freshwater Pearls
Freshwater Pearls are a kind of Pearl that comes from
freshwater mussels. They are produced in Japan and the
United States on a limited scale, but are now almost
exclusive to China The U.S. Federal Trade Commission
requires that freshwater Pearls are referred to as..
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Saltwater Pearls
Although freshwater Pearls can be grown in mussels and
other mollusks, saltwater Pearls are always grown in
oysters. Most saltwater Pearls are harvested in the Red
Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the coastal waters of India
and Japan. Generally, saltwater Pearls...
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Cultured Pearls
Cultured Pearls are those in which humans take a helping
hand. By actually inserting a foreign object into the
tissue of an oyster or mollusk, Pearl farmers can induce
the creation of a Pearl. The same natural process of
Pearl creation takes place...
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Back to 'All About Pearls' Summary
Ever since the ancient Egyptians first started creating
jewelry, Pearls have become one of the highest regarded gemstones. Even
today Pearls still hold their value due to the rarity of "mother nature"
creating this form of jewelry. Pearls are created from a core. The core
of a natural Pearl is simply a fragment of shell or fishbone, or a grain
of sand that strays into the unsuspecting Pearl oyster's shell. To
protect itself from this irritant the oyster secretes multiple layers of
nacre, forming a Pearl...
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