Where are South Sea pearls found?

Where do they come from? The majority of white South Sea pearls are cultured along the northwest coast of Australia. Pearls of the golden variety are also produced primarily in the Philippines and Indonesia - two countries that are quickly becoming the leaders in the finest golden South Sea pearl production.

Where do South Sea pearls come from?

Golden South Sea Pearls come from the Celebes Sea between Indonesia and The Philippines. The medium-sized 'gold-lipped' Pinctada Maxima oysters native to this particular habitat have a golden mother-of-pearl lip on their shell.

How can I tell if my South Sea pearl is real?

The first test to try is a texture test. A real pearl, when rubbed against another pearl or against your tooth, will feel slightly rough. If it's totally smooth, then it's not a pearl. Real pearls will also have minor imperfections that differ from one to the other.

Where is the best South Sea pearls?

Golden Pearls are From the Philippines: Golden-lipped p. maxima pearl oysters can be and are found in Australia and throughout the South China seas. But the very finest examples of Golden South Sea pearls are known to come from the chain of islands in the Philippines.

Are South Sea pearls valuable?

South Sea pearls are considered the most valuable. They are also the largest pearl variety on the market. A strand of South Sea pearls can range from $1,000 to over $100,000.

Formation of a Pearl | Secret Life of Pearls

What is the most expensive South Sea pearl color?

Pearls produced by the gold-lip South Sea pearl oyster range is colors from a creamy white to a deep gold. The varying hues in between are often referred to as yellow and champagne. Each of the colors may be beautiful in their own right, but the most valuable is gold.

Why is South Sea pearl expensive?

Because South Sea Pearls form over longer periods of time, they are more costly to cultivate. For this reason, there are a limited number of South Sea pearl farms, making the truly prized South Seas exceptionally rare. Not all cultured pearls are good enough to become Assael pearls.

What is the rarest pearl color?

Naturally colored blue pearls are the rarest pearl colors in the world (with one or two exceptions, which we will get to below). The color has existed in pearls for decades, but only recently have naturally colored blue pearls gained popularity in the modern pearl jewelry markets.

What is the difference between Akoya and South Sea pearls?

South Sea Pearls of 9.5 – 10.5 mm sizes are more common. But the smaller Akoya oyster has a hard time producing a pearl as large as 9.5 – 10.5 mm, making these pearls much rarer, hence the higher price. Akoya Pearls are preferred for someone wanting a bright white/pink lustrous strand in this “overlap” size range.

Do South Sea pearls have flaws?

Damaging and Non-Damaging Blemishes

It's important to remember that some blemishes won't detract from the beauty or value of a pearl, and this is particularly true with South Sea pearls. That's because it takes these pearls 2 to 3 years to develop, and flawless or slightly flawed South Sea pearls are extremely rare.

What is the price of South Sea pearls?

South sea pearls price per carat ranges from Rs 200 to Rs 5,000 per carat Plus.

How do you tell the difference between freshwater and South Sea pearls?

The main difference between Freshwater Pearls and Saltwater Pearls is: Freshwater pearls are nearly 100% nacre, whereas Saltwater pearls are of a thinner nacre coating from 0.5mm to 6mm. Freshwater pearls are cheaper, whereas Saltwater pearls are generally more expensive due to their scarcity.

Are there green South Sea pearls?

South Sea pearls are highly sought after for their rich, and varied colours, while Pinctada Maxima Pearls are usually available in shades of white, silver, ivory, and rare shades of gold or yellow. Some also have lustrous overtones of magnificent pink, green, blue or rarely a combination of them all.

Which is better freshwater pearl or 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. The pearls are only left in the water for a maximum of 6 months. The pearls are often smaller in size.

Which country pearl is best?

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.

What is the rarest pearl in the world?

The most rare pearl in the world is the Melo Melo, which is produced by a sea snail and not an oyster or a mollusk. The Melo Melo differs in appearance compared to a classic pearl, having a shimmery surface with swirling patterns in the light.

Are black pearls real?

The Tahitian pearl (or black pearl) is an organic gem formed from the black lip oyster (Pinctada margaritifera). These pearls derive their name from the fact that they are primarily cultivated around the islands of French Polynesia, around Tahiti.

How rare is finding a pearl in an oyster?

Today, natural pearls are extremely rare. Only 1 in about 10,000 wild oysters will yield a pearl and of those, only a small percentage achieve the size, shape and colour desirable to the jewellery industry.

Can fish have pearls?

Although naturally formed pearls are uncommon, they are typically created around small irritants such as invading parasites. This usually results in small, round pearls. But the much larger fish was treated in the same way as any other irritant, and in turn became a unique pearl.

Are Tahitian pearls the same as South Sea pearls?

South Sea pearls are naturally delicate pastel in hue and color. They range from being soft white to creamy champagne and pink. Tahitian pearls, on the different side of the spectrum, are bold and dramatic, since the natural color is black.

What is Baby South Sea pearl?

Active member. There's no such thing as baby South Sea pearls. You have freshwater pearls from China. On the plus side, they are natural colors and the price was good, so enjoy them!

What is a Southsea pearl?

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.

How rare is a blue pearl?

Although blue pearls are found in almost every pearl type - Tahitian, Freshwater, South Sea, & Akoya - the chances of you running into a blue pearl in any of these pearl types is extremely, extremely rare. Blue Akoya pearls used to be outcasts in the pearl industry but have recently taken over as a valuable tycoon.

Where are Australian South Sea pearls from?

Australian South Sea Pearls

The most revered and highly prized pearl in the world, The Australian South Sea Pearl is cultured in the Pinctada maxima oyster from the pristine coastal waters of northern Western Australia.

Are saltwater pearls worth anything?

Natural Saltwater Pearls come from the Pinctada radiata and Pinctada margaritifera varieties and are native to the Arabian Gulf. These natural pearls are incredibly rare and their value can vary significantly from US$500 to over US$2,000 per pearl.