Fine South Sea Pearls are the superlative pearls, the crème de la crème of pearls, the most coveted and sought-after of all cultivated pearls in the world. They are unique in that they exhibit very high levels of each of the value factors – size, shape, luster/nacre thickness, surface cleanliness and rarity.
South Sea pearls are cultured using a large, white-lipped oyster, hand-selected from the waters of the South Pacific. The oyster is about twice the size of the Akoya pearl oyster and produces much larger pearls. These luxurious pearls are cultured in Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Japan and Thailand.
South Sea pearls are considered the most valuable. A strand of South Sea pearls can range from $1,000 to over $100,000. Cultured White South Sea Pearls AND Golden South Sea Pearls are the largest gemstones on the cultured market, making them both rare and very valuable.
Golden South Sea pearls are produced from the Gold-lipped oyster, which has beautiful, iridescent golden nacre on the interior of the shell. As the pearl is formed, it absorbs the color from this nacre which gives it the stunning golden hue.
About South Sea PearlsThis oyster is much larger than the oysters that produce Akoya and Freshwater pearls, so the pearl that it produces is much larger as well. Because of the rarity and sensitivity of this type of oyster, cultivation of these pearls is much more difficult, making them more expensive.
White and Golden South Sea pearls are known to have the thickest nacre layers of all cultured saltwater pearl types, averaging between 2.0-4.0mm thick, or more. Almost universally described by pearlers as “satiny†in look, the South Sea pearl's luster is softer in appearance than that of the Japanese Akoya Pearls.
What are the most expensive pearls in the world?
- #1 Beauty Of Ocean Pearl – $139 million.
- #2 La Peregrina Pearl – $11.8 million.
- #3 The Baroda Pearl Necklace – $7.1 million.
- #4 Cowdray Pearls – $5.3 million.
- #5 The Big Pink Pearl – $4.7 million.
- #6 Double Strand Pearls Necklace – $3.7 million.
One method of nucleating the oysters is called South Sea pearl farming. Hence, a type of irritant is inserted, which will cause the oyster to secrete nacre as a self-protection response to the irritant. The nacre is formed over the irritant, layer over layer. When the nacre hardens, a pearl is formed.
These medium-grade South Sea pearls make up for the top 33% of the harvest. They have medium nacre, and 40% of their surface is flawless. The remaining 50% has minor imperfections, while 10% contains deep flaws.
The most common South Sea pearl colors include white, silver, pink and gold. Typically, the region where these pearls are cultivated helps determine their colors.
The color of the Golden South Sea pearl range from a creamy white to deep gold. The deeper the gold, the more expensive this pearl is, as natural (not dyed) gold pearls are rare. For example, a perfect strand of large, deep golden South Sea pearls can go for as much as $100,000.
Golden South Sea pearls are sometimes dyed to achieve a deeper, more desirable golden color. You may come across pale gold Akoya pearls which are similar to light Golden South Sea but deep gold Akoya pearls are always dyed. However, dark chocolate Tahitian pearls are typically dyed, which make them the only exception.
White South Sea pearls are the largest and possibly the most dazzling of all modern cultured pearl types. Famous for their large sizes ranging from 9.0mm – 16.0mm and larger, these saltwater cultured pearls shine with a glowing, satiny luster created by their extremely thick nacre layers.
South Sea pearls are known worldwide for their natural colors of Silvery-White and Gold, and their extremely large sizes. These pearls are cultured in warm tropical waters of Northern Australia, Indonesia and The Philippines.
Typically, South Sea pearls grow for at least 2-4 years (on upwards to a dozen or more years), unlike fresh water pearls, which develop in less than half that time. That longer incubation period creates a deeper, more three-dimensional luster because the oyster has more time to secrete more nacre over the years.
Traditionally, freshwater pearls are usually more durable than saltwater pearls. This is because the nacre used to create these pearls is way thicker than the nacre found in saltwater pearls. So, if you're planning on wearing your pearls regularly, freshwater is probably the better option.
Freshwater pearls are primarily farmed in China. They grow in a mussel, as opposed to the oyster of the South Sea pearl. There are many reasons that freshwater pearls are considerably lower priced than South Sea pearls: A single freshwater pearl mussel is capable of producing up to 50 pearls at a time.
What is the Best Type of Pearl to Buy?
- Akoya Pearls: These pearls represent some of the best cultured pearls available today.
- Freshwater Pearls: Cultured freshwater pearls come mainly from China, usually without a bead nucleus (making them very durable).
99.99% of pearls sold are cultured. Thus each and every pearl, whether cultured or natural, represents hundreds and thousands of oyster shells being opened up and discarded, resulting in their death. Pearl oysters that are discarded are not channelled as food because oysters are eaten alive or cooked alive.
Pink and Lavender PearlsPink and lavender is a naturally occurring color found predominately in freshwater pearls. These subtle, pastel colors are not the product of treatment, and the colors do not change or fade. This is what is known as an overtone, as the base color of most akoya pearls is white.
China is the leading source for freshwater cultured pearls. Cultured pearls from Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar, are grown in the Pinctada Maxima mollusk.
A saltwater pearl is a pearl produced by a saltwater mollusk in a saline environment. The three most common types of saltwater pearls are Cultured Saltwater Akoya pearls, Tahitian pearls and South Sea pearls. The shape of the saltwater pearl is typically more round than freshwater cultured pearls.
"In the old days, tourists who came to Lombok would always shop for pearls. The proposed concept of a Lombok Pearl educational tourist destination includes an area that will combine Mandalika Beach with the South Sea pearl cultivation process -- from seeding to displaying them in a gallery.
Cultured Pearls: Definition. Natural pearls grow without any human intervention whereas cultured pearls form when a farmer inserts a mollusk into the oyster shell. For natural pearls, the mollusk is an organism in the water. For cultured pearls, the mollusk is usually a tiny bead.
