South|Sea|White|Black|Baroque|Pearls|Wholesalers|Sydney|Australia|Precious|Gems|Australian|Opals|Gold|Jewellery
 

About South Sea Cultured Pearls

South Sea cultured pearls are produced by the largest mollusc in the pinctada group.  Called the Pinctada Maxima, these molluscs live in the oxygen rich equatorial waters in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, generally referred to as the South Seas, where the temperatures are warm all year round.  The Pinctada Maxima which can grow to 30 centimeters in size are found in sandy beds 30 to 60 feet below the surface in waters which provide the most ideal environment for the nacreous growth around the nucleus of the pearl.

1. Please view http://www.unigem.com.au/trade/blackpearlsunmounted for our loose black pearls instock - 1st Feb. 2008.
2. Please view http://www.unigem.com.au/trade/wandgpearlssouthseaunmounted for our loose black pearls instock - 1st Feb. 2008.
3. Please view http://www.unigem.com.au/trade/multicolourpearlstrands for our loose black pearls instock - 1st Feb. 2008.

 

Tahitian black pearls are produced by the Pinctada Margaritifera is found principally in French Polynesia.  Tahitian pearls are often referred to as the "black lipped pearl oyster" and may grow to 30mm in size.

The thickness of the nacre around the nucleus in South Sea pearls can be up to twenty times greater than that of Japanese cultured pearls.
Pearls from saltwater environments which are larger than 12mm are almost all from the South Seas.  The largest of these being very rare and the result of opening and searching through thousands of oysters annually to yield a true gem quality pearl.
Environmental and ecological problems in today's world have made it more difficult to find enough healthy large oysters capable of producing the largest pearls.  This makes the assembly of large pearl necklaces a time consuming process, as each pearl must be matched by colour and the lustre to be able to graduate the strand evenly.
The ancient Sanskrit description of pearl as 'jewel of the moon' describes the power and luminosity that this gem possesses.  The pearl is not fashioned by human hands but formed in nature.
The region of North Western Australia provides a perfect environment for culturing pearls. It is an isolated area, the closest major city is 2000 kilometers away, removing the problems of industrial waste. The pollution free waters and huge tides help Australian pearl farmers produce high quality harvest, unmatched in size and lustre.
Modern Day Australian Pearl Farming
Australian Pearl Farm Operations Tour
In order to protect the pinctada maxima mollusc from extinction, pearl farmers are limited as to how many they can collect. Pearl farmers must be licensed and the Australian government allows a total of no more than 570 000 oysters to be collected from Australian waters per annum and from that total, only 280,000 will survive the two year long culturing process. The majority of this quota is collected from the waters off Eighty Mile Beach. They can only survive in clean waters and pristine environmental conditions. Water pollution and natural disasters such as cyclones are the oysters' greatest threat, which is why it is so important to promote and maintain a clean environment.
 
Producer Auctions – Discrete Volume Marketing   Aji grandson of Edith at Robert Wan Auction Shanthi and Edith at Paspaley Auction
 
Olden Day Deep Sea Pearl Diving in Broome   Shanthi at a pearl farm in Darwin Shanthi watching pearl oyster seeding operation in a pearl farm
 

Pearl Oyster Hatchery Breeding in Australia