subject: South Sea Pearls Are The Finest In The World [print this page] Pearls are gems that have been loved and admired for centuries. Pearls are produced in the soft tissue of an oyster, where they are protected by the hard shell. The highest quality pearl will be perfectly round and smooth. It is common though for pearls to grow into many different shapes. Some of the largest pearls in the world are South Sea pearls.
Pinctada maxima is the mollusk that produces the South Sea pearl. Farmed mostly off the coast of Australia, they are also grown in Myanmar, the Philippines and Indonesia. Although pearls can be found growing wild, the majority of pearls today are cultivated in farms in the depths of the sea. South Sea pearls are cultivated this way too.
One of the main reasons South Sea pearls are larger than others is because of the amount of time they are grown. While many other pearls are harvested in 9 to 16 months, South Sea pearls are grown for 2 years or more. The waters in the South Sea are extremely clean, and that produces a variety of foods for creatures of the sea to thrive upon. The natural perfection of the South Sea provides the setting for perfection to be born.
Farming of South Sea pearls is a very technical operation today. Nuclei are implanted into the mollusks by technicians. As the pearls grow inside, the oysters are carefully monitored by a team of professionals. While other pearls are harvested in just over a year or less, it is common for some South Sea pearls to grow for six years.
After the pearls are harvested, they go through a long process of sorting and grading. This process weeds out the imperfect gems and ensures the quality of valuable gems in the marketplace. The most difficult process after harvesting and grading is to find enough perfectly shaped and sized pearls to create a strand.
Technology plays a big role in pearl cultivation, but the most important work is produced by nature. Colors, sizes and shapes will vary in South Sea pearls. Produced in two kinds of oysters, one being the gold-lipped and the other silver-lipped, South Sea pearls will also vary in color depending on where the farm is located.
South Sea pearls are among the finest gems in the world. Owning South Sea pearls is a real treasure that can be passed along from one generation to the next. Once you have discovered the natural beauty of South Sea pearls, you will know there is no comparison to any other pearls in the world.
