The South Sea Pearl Blog

  • November 24, 2020

    The 60th Anniversary of The South Sea Pearl

    The 60th Anniversary of The South Sea Pearl | The South Sea Pearl

    by Dr. L. E. Cartier, first published in Facette 23 (February 2017)

    The South Sea pearl oyster Pinctada maxima is known to produce white, cream and golden pearls. Such pearls are cultured mainly in Australia, Burma (Myanmar), Indonesia and the Philippines. Interestingly, 2016 marked the 60th anniversary of the first harvest of South Sea cultured pearls at the Kuri Bay farm (Australia), established by Tokuichi Kuribayashi of Nippo Pearls in 1954 (Müller, 1997). In the past few decades, South Sea cultured pearls have become some of the most desired and expensive cultured pearls in the market.

    At present, golden South Sea cultured pearls are harvested mainly in Burma, the Philippines and Indonesia. Pearl farmers have targeted traits and oysters that can enable them to focus on specific nacre colours and thus pearl colours. In February 2016 Dr. Laurent Cartier had the opportunity of visiting Jewelmer pearl farms near Palawan Island in the Philippines and observing the different culturing techniques required to harvest golden South Sea pearls. The Jewelmer company was co-founded in 1979 by Jacques Branellec and Manuel Cojuangco with the aim of producing high-end golden South Sea cultured pearls.

    Untreated high-quality golden South Sea cultured pearls from the Pinctada maxima oyster continue to be rare and highly sought after on the international market. This complexity (both ecologically and technically) associated with cultivating these pearls is a limiting factor in offering the market larger quantities of such high-quality cultured pearls. Treatments to attain and imitate such pearl colours and qualities will continue to exist, and SSEF is carrying out research on such treatments. As such, it is also very important to visit production sites and collect reliable samples for research. So it is important that both gemmological research and correct disclosure (see CIBJO Pearl Book) are followed. Another aspect of pearls that SSEF has been very active in is DNA fingerprinting of pearls, such as those from Pinctada maxima. In order to continue to brand and market South Sea cultured pearls from Pinctada maxima as such it is important to be able to distinguish these at a gemmological level, between them and pearls of similar colour from other species. The appreciation of golden South Sea cultured pearls will continue to rise as this relatively new resource in the jewellery industry gains wider attention and embodies a golden future.

    For more info also see the article by Cartier & Krzemnicki (2016).

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  • November 01, 2020

    Colour in cultured pearls has many causes

    Colour in cultured pearls has many causes | The South Sea Pearl
    Colour in cultured pearls has many causes, namely organic pigments and the water reservoir where the pearl shell is grown (sea water or freshwater) that has different manganese (Mn) concentrations with impact on nacre's colours. The mollusc species is, of course, one of the most important factors in this process, specially the donor specimen that provides the mantle tissue that is inserted in the gonads or mantle (depending on the culturing method) of a productive pearl mollusc for the formation of the cultured pearl sac. In Fiji, the local pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera typica has mantle tissue cells that secrete unusual earthy coloured nacre (seen in the oysters' mother-of-pearl shell interior), and thus the colours of those cultured pearls are also expected to be coloured in such a way. Fiji has been producing natural color beaded cultured pearls, with ocasional non-bead "keshis", in relatively limited numbers since 1999 when Justin Hunter, a biologist and visionary, started his blue economy project with a pearl farm in his home land in Savusavu, Fiji, promoting sustainable luxury through marine cultured pearls. Photos © J. Hunter Pearls Fiji
    #pearls #pearljewelry #luxury #gemology #jewelry
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  • July 27, 2020

    Fireball Fresh-Water Cultured Pearls

    Fireball Fresh-Water Cultured Pearls | The South Sea Pearl
    Fireball pearl is the trade name for a type of beaded freshwater cultured pearl. Pearl farming in freshwater started to commercially develop in Japan in the 1960s in Lake Kasumigaura based on a new type of hybrid mussel made between the Japanese Hyriopsis schlegelii, and the Chinese Hyriopsis cumingii. These cultured pearls, known in the trade as Kasumiga, had small production and today only three farms are reportedly in operation. In the beginning of the new millennium, this hybrid was used again with an innovation by inserting a round 9 to 12 mm shell bead as a nucleus into an existing pearl sac that resulted from a previous culture in the mussel's mantle. The process is known as CBSB (coin-bead/spherical bead) referring to the two stages of this long process. This second generation beaded cultured pearl could reach considerably larger sizes in rounds and, when in baroque shapes, could reach up to 25 mm long displaying a solid irregular tail coming from a bulgy body, resembling a fireball, hence the name.
    If you wish to know more on these and other freshwater cultured pearls, join pearl guru Jeremy Shepherd at the Home Gemmology webinar Tuesday, July 28 (2 pm London).
    Check timezone before registering at www.ruigalopim.com/events
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  • April 24, 2020

    Pearls: Forever Fashionable

    Pearls: Forever Fashionable | The South Sea Pearl
    A jewelry store’s pearl counter is a fascinating place. These enchanting gems have represented beauty and perfection ever since man discovered them in ancient times. They have been the subject of countless tales of history, beauty, myth and elegance.

    The Arabian Gulf was the world’s first source of natural pearls and remained so for centuries. Natural pearls from the Gulf are notable for their transparent and high-luster nacre. Together with pearls from the Red Sea and the Strait of Manaar, they have been referred to as “oriental pearls” and are highly valued.

    Part of a pearl’s appeal is its organic origins: It comes from a living animal, a mollusk. And because pearls are slightly porous, they warm up against the skin as they are worn. The wearer and the gems become one.

    The exciting array of pearl choices available today can be overwhelming. When you combine the variety of colors, sizes and shapes with metals and other gemstones in rings, necklaces and earrings, the possible combinations are practically endless.

    So before you set off to buy pearl jewelry, you should understand the basics. Are you looking for natural or cultured pearls? Do you know what to look for in terms of size, luster and color? What price range are you interested in? How are some pearls treated to enhance their appearance? These are all good questions to consider before you begin to shop.

    A retailer who knows the types of natural and cultured pearls that are available and the factors that determine their value will be an invaluable resource to you as you explore pearls.

    In the meantime, here are some basics to get you started.

    Pearls are natural or cultured and grow in mollusks that can live in either saltwater or fresh water. They are made up of layers of calcium carbonate most popularly in the form of nacre, a natural substance produced by pearl oysters that coats the inside of the animal’s shell. This beautiful, lustrous nacre is the very essence of a pearl.

    Natural Saltwater Pearls
    Natural pearls are extremely rare. The Arabian Gulf is the most important source for natural pearls – 70-80 percent of all pearls came from there until the 1950s. The island of Bahrain was a center for trade with northwest India and what is now the modern Middle East. A 4,000-year-old pearl was uncovered in 1989, and excavations at the ancient Bahrain’s Dilmun settlement have confirmed that pearl fishing has been going on for at least 3,000 years.

    Natural saltwater pearls from the Arabian Gulf come from the Pinctada radiata and Pinctada margaritifera. Persian Gulf pearls range in color from white to dark cream and tend to be more yellow than those from the Red Sea and Strait of Manaar, whose characteristic colors are very light yellow, cream and very light pink. The Red Sea also produces some pearls in darker hues that range from intense pink to light to dark violet.

    Natural saltwater pearls are also found occasionally in Baja California, Venezuela, Myanmar, China, Japan, India, French Polynesia, Australia and Africa – the same regions that have cultured pearl industries.

    Saltwater Cultured Pearls
    If you ask someone to describe an Akoya pearl, they will most likely describe a white, round, lustrous gem cultured in Japan and China in Pinctada fucata (martensii). Most akoya cultured pearls are white or cream and some have hints of rosé (pink) or green. The akoya oyster is relatively small, so it doesn’t usually produce a cultured pearl larger than 9 mm. Natural pearls from Pinctada fucata (matensii) are extremely rare.

    Tahitian cultured pearls have only been on the market since the 1970s and come in colors including eggplant purple, peacock green, metallic gray and grayish blue. The mollusk that produces them (Pinctada margaritifera) is native to French Polynesia and is farmed there and in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Australia and New Zealand.

    South Sea cultured pearls come from one of the world’s largest pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima), which produces cultured pearls that can measure 15 mm or larger. They are farmed in Australia, Burma, the Philippines and Indonesia. While South Sea cultured pearls occur in other colors, silver, white and yellow (sometimes referred to as “golden”) are the most common.

    Freshwater Cultured Pearls
    Cultured pearl farmers in China produce the overwhelming majority of cultured freshwater pearls. These cultured pearls vary widely in color and are generally more affordable than saltwater cultured pearls. Sizes are comparable to akoya cultured pearls, with a range between 2 mm and 13 mm, although larger sizes are now available. Fascinating new cultured pearls from fire balls to soufflés have been emerging from China in a dramatic array of colors.

    The chief cultured pearl-producing mussel in the U.S. is the “washboard” M. nervosa. Only a small fraction of the total number of freshwater cultured pearls produced come from the U.S.

    What to look for when picking out pearls
    GIA, the world’s foremost authority on diamonds and gems, created a pearl description system, in order to evaluate the quality of pearls. GIA’s 7 Value Factors include Size, Shape, Color, Luster, Surface, and Nacre. Be sure to ask your sales associate to go through these with you.

    Size: As with other gems, a larger pearl (measured in millimeters) is typically more valuable. The larger the pearl, the more rare and costly it tends to be. But fine quality pearls can be small, and low quality pearls can be large, so a pearl’s ultimate worth depends on how it combines the complete mix of value factors.

    Shape: While round is the most familiar shape, pearls come in a parade of forms (round, near round, oval, button, drop, semi-baroque, baroque). No matter what its shape, if a pearl is or symmetrical, it will be more valuable than one that’s irregular.

    Color: A pearl’s color is a combination of its dominant bodycolor, overtone, the subtle colours that seem to come from within the pearl, and orient, the “play of color” you see when the pearl moves.. Cultured pearls display a broad palette of subtle hues, ranging from warm (yellow, orange and pink) to cool (blue, green and violet).

    Luster: The intensity of light reflected from or just below the surface of the pearl, its luster, contributes the most to the beauty of a pearl. The effect is an inner glow from the heart of the gem. A pearl with excellent luster will look bright and shiny, while one with poor luster is dull and far less valuable. Fine akoyas tend to display a bright, mirror-like gloss. Other pearls tend to feature a softer, satiny luster.

    Surface: A completely clean pearl is a rare treasure. Since rarity influences value, the prices of such pearls run extremely high. The number, nature, and location of surface characteristics (abrasions, bumps, chips, cracks, etc.) can affect the value of any pearl. Numerous or severe surface irregularities – such as chips or gaps – can threaten the durability of the pearl and cause it to break or peel and considerably lower its quality and value. If a surface characteristic is minor and located near a pearl’s drill hole, where it’s less noticeable, it will detract less from the pearl’s appearance and ultimate value.

    Other value factors can minimize the effect of surface characteristics on a pearl’s worth. If the pearl is large and highly lustrous, for example, these pluses can outweigh a slight surface characteristic or two. In fact, excellent luster makes some surface characteristics less noticeable.

    Nacre: Nacre is the very essence of the pearl itself and nacre thickness does affect the value. Quality cultured pearls have ample thickness to allow the pearl to display its beauty.

    Matching: The uniformity of the appearance of pearls in strands and multi-pearl pieces is called matching.

    How to Care for Pearls
    Now that you’ve gotten your pearls, you should know a few things about taking care of them.

    To retain their beauty, they need a certain amount of moisture, which is why you should avoid storing pearls in an airtight or overly dry environment, such as a bank safety deposit box. The human body conveniently provides just the right amount of moisture. Worn often and properly cared for, pearls can look as good in 50 years as they did the day they left the store.

    Pearls are not the most durable of gems. Most everyday items at home and in the office are tougher than pearls, so careless contact can cause damage them over time. Chemicals are the primary threat. Perfume, makeup and hairspray contain ingredients that can eat away the nacre, permanently dulling it. Many cleaning products contain chemicals such as ammonia and chlorine, which can pit gold alloys and quickly damage pearls. Chlorinated swimming pool water is also hazardous. Avoid wearing pearl jewellery when cleaning the house or doing yard work.

    The best way to clean your pearls is with a soft damp cloth, ideally after each time you wear them.

    Are you ready to learn more?
    Consider taking a course to gain a deeper understanding of this fascinating gem. GIA offers an online pearl course in its gemmology eLearning curriculum that you can take from the comfort of your home. It’s a fascinating look at the world of pearls, including their origin, how they get to market, and the GIA 7 Value Factors used to describe their quality. Or, you can choose to take a one-day instructor-led GIA Pearl Grading class where you’ll learn to evaluate the quality of freshwater, South Sea and Tahitian pearls.

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