Farming Saltwater Pearls
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Farming Saltwater Pearls
When we go into a jewelry store and try on a lustrous strand of Akoya or Tahitian pearls, it’s hard to think about what that little stone went through before it hit the store. A pearl has an entire life before it is strung and shipped out to a retail store. Whether the pearl is natural or cultured, each pearl has a story about where it came from. Pearl farming and harvesting is a big business in various parts of the world and these farms provide us with these beautiful gemstones that are often taken for granted.
For all saltwater pearl oysters, the nucleation process is the same and this process is how each pearl begins its life. Many factors go in to the nucleation process and it can be a very precise, delicate procedure. It depends on who you talk to, but some people say that Akoya pearl oysters are easier to nucleate than say a Tahitian pearl oyster. One factor that is important in the nucleation process is water temperature. Oysters are very sensitive to changes in temperature and water temperature can even determine the thickness of its nacre. Because of this sensitivity, Akoya pearls are usually nucleated in the spring and summer and only along the coasts of Japan.
Tahitian pearls are a different story all together, even though the nucleation process is the same. Tahitian pearls are nucleated in the black lipped oysters which are large and rare. These pearls are cultured and farmed off the coasts of the French Polynesian islands. These oysters are also sensitive to temperature, but it is more of a case by case basis. Tahitian pearl oysters are kept in enclosed lagoons where they can be moved into shallower or deeper waters based on their needs. Tahitian pearls are large and dark in color. They have a high luster and have become quite popular recently.
A similar pearl to the Tahitian is the South Sea pearl. These are farmed and harvested a bit differently from Tahitian pearls however. While the Tahitian pearls are cultured and farmed in strict captivity, South Sea pearls are a bit freer. Silver-lipped and gold-lipped oysters are collected in the wild, with pearls already in the growing process. After being collected, the oysters are moved to the farms. The farms these oysters are moved to still have regulated environments to help the oysters and pearls grow to their full potential.
Pearl farming is a big business in the world today, especially in Japan. With the price of precious metals at an all-time high, pearls have become even more sought after. These gemstones have become the affordable luxury in today’s economy and to those countries that rely on pearls as a source of income, this is good news. Not only is it important to countries who farm and export pearls, but to local retailers as well. At a time when luxuries, like jewelry, are easily pushed aside, pearls are a breath of fresh air to those retailers who are feeling the pinch of a tight economy.
Piper Smith is the VP of Marketing for Museum Way Pearls, a leading provider of pearl jewelry such as pearl necklaces and pearl earrings. Museum Way Pearls can be found online at: MuseumWayPearls.com .
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