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Pearl - South Sea

  

From the 1800’s Australia was the primary source of the world’s largest, most voluptuous and most valuable natural pearl – the South Sea Pearl – product of the world’s largest pearl-producing oyster, the Pinctada maxima. The Australians knew their pearls would be highly sought after should they successfully coax the sensitive Pinctada maxima into yielding a cultured pearl. Their efforts led to Australia’s success in pioneering the South Sea cultured pearl. It is not surprising that today, one of those original pearlers, Paspaley, dominates world production of the South Sea cultured pearl, having merged the original culturing projects in 1989. South Sea cultured pearls range from 10 to 15 millimeters but larger examples can reach between 16 and 20 millimeters. Only cultured pearls from the Pinctada maxima possess the beautiful transparency and color overtones known as “orient” with rainbow hues ranging from white pink to silver pink to dark gold. Originally exclusive to Australia, South Sea cultured pearls are now also farmed in Indonesia, Burma, and the Philippines. However, the characteristics and quality of pearls from these regions can vary greatly. Australian oysters and ocean conditions are generally credited with producing the largest and finest quality pearls. Australian pearls can display fancy colors including red gold which is extremely rare and highly regarded. Indonesia and Burma produce mainly white to yellow and also gold, while the Philippines produce mainly yellow and gold. The Pinctada maxima oyster is rare and will not survive outside the small area of its natural environment, making it extremely difficult to cultivate. Highly labor intensive, Pinctada maxima farms are by necessity situated in remote locations. To protect the wild natural stocks of oysters in Australia, the government strictly enforces production quotas. Not every Pinctada maxima will produce a pearl and each oyster can grow only one pearl at a time. Good quality, 10 to 15 millimeter pearls usually take two years to grow. Larger pearls are generally found after the fourth to sixth year of the farming cycle. What sets South Sea cultured pearls apart is the unique beauty of their nacre. As with natural South Sea pearls, it is the quality and thickness of nacre that gives the pearls incredible luster that will last for generations. In high quality pearls, nacre thickness tends to be at least 3 millimeters and in many cases will reach over six millimeters. Quality and rarity are the defining factors in determining the value of the finest South Sea cultured pearls. Pearl luster and color are the primary influences on a pearl’s quality. These attributes are, in turn, determined by the pearl nacre so, the finer the nacre the better luster and color and the more valuable the pearl. The Paspaley Guarantee offers the most extensive inventory of high quality South Sea cultured pearls ever to appear in the U.S. Paspaley South Sea cultured pearls are renowned for the quality and richness of their natural nacre. As it is, the nacre that gives each pearl its extraordinary luster, Paspaley South Sea cultured pearls are unrivaled in their beauty. Paspaley guarantees that its pearls are of natural color and luster without artificial enhancements or treatments. You can assure your customers that these pearls are completely unaltered from the way they emerge from the shell at harvest.

Quality Information & Color Information

Quality	Description
Fashion A	Very good luster and very fine quality nacre; color and luster are natural (untreated)
Fine AA	Excellent luster and excellent quality nacre; color and luster are natural (untreated)
Golden A	Medium golden color; very good luster; slight blemishes distributed over less than 20% of the surface
Golden B	Medium golden color; good to medium luster; slight blemishes distributed over less than 40% of the surface

Care

Pearls are not for everyday wear, and one should take care when wearing. Avoid exposure to heat and protect from scratches and harsh blows. Avoid contact with chemicals, especially perfumes, perspiration and hair sprays. To clean, wipe gently with a moist cloth.

Major Sources

Australia*

Properties & Reactions

Enhancement Code: N

Hardness: 2.5-4

Color: White, Yellow

Species: Pearl

RI: 1.53-1.685

Specific Gravity: 2.72-2.78

Optic Character: AGG

Phenomena: Orient

Ultrasonic: Never use

Steamer: Never use

Heat: Poor - high heat may cause burning

Chemicals: All acids