South Sea Pearls
A rare ocean treasure
Pinque pearls are produced by the largest of pearl producing saltwater oysters in existence: The Pinctada Maxima oyster. Unlike fresh water oysters, Pinctada Maxima oysters take two to three years to produce only one cultured pearl.
What makes south sea pearls special?
Most pearls, whether saltwater (i.e. south sea pearls) or freshwater, are cultivated, not natural.
This means that a small piece of mollusk tissue or a bead was placed into the mollusk, which covered it with nacre – the material pearls are actually made of. Pearls created this way are also called “cultured pearls.”
Generally, the longer the growing period for a given pearl, the better the formed nacre is in terms of quality. However, pearls that are cultivated for a longer time are also more expensive.
Contrary to what many people think, most fresh- and saltwater pearls are not natural but cultured. Naturally occurring pearls are not only very rare, but also usually neither very large nor of a round shape.
How freshwater and saltwater pearls differ
Lustre
Because freshwater pearls’ nacre is thicker and differs in composition from that of saltwater pearls, freshwater pearls are usually less lustrous and not as glossy.
Shape and Color
Freshwater pearls come in a great variety of shapes (round, oval, button, drop, etc.) and colours - lots of them get artificially coloured by chemicals after the harvest. Saltwater pearls are usually mostly a form ofround shaped, which is the shape that is most in demand, and are never amended in neither colour nor shape.
Size
Freshwater pearls are usually cultivated over shorter periods (approx. 1 year) and as a result, they are smaller in size and have an inferior shape and nacre coating compared to saltwater pearls, which usually grow for a period of approximately 2-3 years.
Pearl Farming
Freshwater mussels can produce up to 20 pearls at a time, and usually get harvested within one
year of being seeded. Saltwater oysters can only produce one pearl at a time, which takes a minimum of two to three years to grow. For this reason, freshwater pearls are much more abundant than saltwater pearls, whichc are quite rare in comparison.
Pearl Cultivation
Seeding
Pearl cultivation starts with the seeding process of the oyster. Specialist 'oyster surgeons' carefully implant a small nucleus, usually made of a freshwater oyster shell, into the pinctada maxima oyster. Over time, a pearl grows, by the oyster surrounding the inserted nucleus with thousands of layers of nacre. The longer the pearl is left to grow, the more radiant and lustrous it can become.
Maintenance
It is a difficult task to ensure pearl oysters are kept healthy. It takes a remote location, unpolluted waters, as well as a diligent and regular cleaning process, removing marine growth on a regular basis, to keep pearl oysters healthy and to enable them to produce a pearl.
Collection
When it is time to collect the pearls, all oysters are raised from the ocean and transported onto land. In a special laboratory, pearl technicians carefully open each oyster to remove the pearl. Only oysters that have produced an exceptional quality pearl may be re-seeded for another round of cultivation.
Pearl Grading
Pearl grading is a time consuming process that is carried out by experts. There are a vast array of characteristics which need to be taken into account when grading and matching pearls for pairs and strands, such as size, colour, lustre, as well as shape and skin quality.
Pearl Characteristics
Lustre
Lustre is probably the most important characteristic of a pearl. It gives a pearl its' identity. South Sea pearls are known to have superior lustre and incomparable radiance, making them the most valuable pearls in the world.
This lustre comes from the throusands of layers of nacre that have formed around the nucleus over the years that it took to grow the pearl. This natural lustre is ever lasting and should not be confused with the shine or colour of treated (freshwater) pearls which may diminish over time.
Complexion
Pearls with flawless surfaces are extremely rare and valuable. The quality is of course influenced by the number and size of imperfections and the degree of visibility. At Pinque, we are proud to feature pearls with slight imperfections as part of our jewellery. Slight imperfections showcase the fact that pearls are made by nature. They are all a natural phenomenon produced by an ocean oyster and are as unique as their owner. Additionally, these imperfections are a testament to each pearl being genuinely made by nature, rather than coming out of a factory or being altered in any way, shape or form. These facts, combined with better affordability, is what Pinque Pearls believe is the best way to make South Sea pearls into beautiful and affordable jewellery items.