Pearl Guide

South Sea pearls

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, Myanmar, Indonesia, and Philippines.

South Sea pearls are farmed in salt water and grown in a large oyster shell, the Pinctada maxima.

Each oyster usually only produces a single pearl, however some oysters able to be seeded twice.

Each single South Sea pearl takes up to 2- 3 years to grow.

The colour of each pearl is determined by the nacre (mother of pearl) secreted by the oyster, and nature decides what the final colour hue of each pearl will be. The pearl can take on any colour from the inside of the shell of the oyster, but its final colour cannot be predicted until harvest.

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.

Akoya Sea pearl

Akoya pearl are bead-nucleated cultured pearls produced in the Pinctada fucata martensii and Pinctada fucata chemnitzii primarily in Japan, China, Vietnam, South Korea and Australia, with the majority of production (>95%) taking place in Japan.

Renowned for their luster, akoya are considered the classic pearl. Akoya pearls were the first cultured pearls to be farmed using a bead and mantle tissue technique patented by Kokichi Mikimoto of Mie Prefecture, Japan, in 1916.

Akoya are generally white or cream colored, with overtone colors of rose, silver and cream. Non-white colors such as blue, silver-blue and yellow exist but are considered uncommon colors.

The akoya oyster is the smallest pearl-producing oyster used in pearl culture today, so akoya pearls also tend to be small, ranging in size from about 2 to 11 millimeters. They also tend to be the most consistently round and near-round pearls, making them ideal in terms of matching for multi-pearl jewelry such as strands and bracelets.

Tahitian Sea pearls

Tahitian sea pearls from the Pinctada margaritifera or Black-lip pearl oyster, are more commonly known as Tahitian sea pearls. These pearls are often referred to as black, but have a remarkable color range that covers the spectrum - from light, creamy white and grey, to regal greens, peacock and deep black.

Tahitian sea pearls are bead nucleated many of them are round, or near round, with other shapes expressed in drops, baroques, button and circled pearls.

Tahitian sea pearls are considered to be the second most valuable commercially farmed pearls in the world. Unlike black freshwater and black akoya pearls, which have been irradiated or dyed, Tahitians come by their dark color naturally. Tahitian sea pearls are bead-nucleated, but unlike akoya pearls, the nacre is typically very thick. The thinnest nacre allowed by French Polynesian law for export is 0.8 mm, which is a depth that would be considered.

Pearl Grading guide

AAA

Flawless on at least 90% of pearl's surface

Only 10% of pearl's surface may exhibit slight, concentrated imperfections Only a single deep inclusion allowable Pearl should drill or set clean to virtually clean Luster very high to excellent.

AA+

Flawless on at least 80% of pearl's surface

Only 20% of pearl's surface may exhibit slight, concentrated imperfections

Only one or two deep inclusions allowable

Pearl should drill or set clean to nearly clean

Luster is high to very high.

Flawless on at least 70% of pearl's surface

Only 30% of pearl's surface may exhibit slight, concentrated imperfections

Only one or two deep inclusions allowable

Pearl should drill or set nearly clean

Luster is high to very high.

A+

Flawless on at least 40% of pearl's surface

Up to 60% of pearl's surface may exhibit slight, concentrated imperfections

Deep inclusions are limited to 10% of pearl's surface

Luster is medium to very high.

At least 60% of pearl's surface will exhibit flaws

Deep inclusions and/or white spots within inclusions on up to 20% of pearl's surface

Luster is poor to very high.