South Sea Pearls

When you picture pearls, small, round white akoyas probably come to mind. These classic gems are popular and pretty, and are favored by everyone from young fashionistas to modern brides to society matrons, so they’re usually what we think of when we picture a traditional strand of pearls. But there are several types of pearls beyond the classic akoya. From Tahitian to freshwater, keshi to South Sea, each has its own unique characteristics and unquestionable beauty and is well-worth discovering.

If you’re looking for attention-grabbing jewelry—and have cash to burn—a South Sea pearl strand is a gorgeous, statement-making piece. The gems’ large size—they’re the largest pearls on the market—thick nacre and beautiful silver and golden colors are extremely luxurious, and naturally have a price tag to match. Let’s explore…

Background and History
As you may have guessed, South Sea pearls are named for the region in which they’re grown—a temperate, plankton-rich area situated between the southern coast of China and the northern coast of Australia. While the latter country produces most of the world’s South Sea cultured pearl crop—60 percent according to the Gemological Institute of America—Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Thailand also culture the gems.

South Sea pearls are extremely desirable today, so you might be surprised to learn that they’re relatively new to the market. In fact, it was the oyster’s shell, not its pearl-making ability, that Australians first coveted when they discovered P. maxima in the shallow waters of Australia in the 1800s. Demand for the shells grew quickly. According to GIA, within a few years of discovering P. maxima, Australia was supplying 75 percent of the world’s demand for mother-of-pearl.

Of course the oyster population couldn’t sustain this level of fishing indefinitely. By 1930, Australia’s wild oyster population was severely depleted, forcing the government to step in and set limits in order to protect the animals. The industry gradually declined and finally dried up during World War II, when fishing boats were called upon to help the war effort.

Two decades of relative quiet followed. That changed in 1950, when the Australian government decided to lift an earlier ban on pearl culturing, which it had feared would harm the natural pearl trade. Once the ban was lifted, pearl culturing began in earnest. According to GIA, farmers in Australia established the first commercial pearl farm there in 1956, and the industry gradually grew into the giant it is today.

Characteristics
If you get a chance to see a South Sea pearl up close, you’ll probably first notice its large size. At an average diameter of 13mm, South Sea pearls are about twice the size of the typical akoya. There are several reasons South Sea pearls grow so large. First, the oyster they’re grown in, P. maxima, is a relatively large animal, much larger than the oyster used to grow Japanese akoyas. In fact, P. maxima can grow to about 12 inches in diameter, which means it can accept a larger starter bead than a smaller oyster or mussel. Second, larger oysters are able to deposit nacre faster than smaller oysters, meaning they can grow larger pearls in a shorter amount of time. Third, the environment where the animals live is pristine, plankton is abundant and the water is warm. These all contribute to a healthy environment that’s perfect for marine health, nacre secretion and of course, pearl growing. (Because they filter so much water, P. maxima are particularly susceptible to changes in water conditions.) Finally, South Sea pearls typically have a two year growth period, compared to as little as eight months for some akoyas. Naturally, the longer the oyster is allowed to secrete nacre, the bigger the pearl will be.

Apart from their generous size, South Sea pearls are known for their satiny luster—a function of the way their nacre is deposited—and subtle array of colors, which most often include white, cream and silver. Indeed, P. maxima comes in only two varieties: silver-lipped or gold-lipped—names derived from the color of the outer edge of the shell’s interior, or mother-of-pearl, which helps determine pearl color.

Pearl Farming
To culture South Sea pearls, Australian pearl farmers breed oysters in hatcheries or, more commonly, collect the animals in the wild. (Conversely, their Indonesian and Philippine counterparts rely more heavily on hatchery-bred animals.) Because the oysters are solitary and often buried in sand, they’re difficult to find, so collecting wild oysters is a difficult task. And because the animals are delicate, care must be taken not to remove them from their natural environment for too long. In fact, early efforts at culturing P. maxima using techniques developed for the heartier akoya resulted in a 60 percent mortality rate, according to GIA. Later methods, developed specifically for P. maxima and the Australian environment, which keep the oysters in their natural environment as much as possible, have been much more successful.

In Australia, South Sea pearl oysters are nucleated when they’re about two years old and 4.7 to 6.7 inches in diameter. Working quickly to keep the stress of the animal to a minimum, highly skilled pearl nucleators surgically insert one nuclei into each oyster and return it to the water. (By contrast, freshwater mussels and akoyas can take several bead nuclei at once). P. maxima can be nucleated up to three times in its lifetime; the third and final time, when the animal is about six years old or so, produces the largest pearl, although this pearl usually has the thinnest nacre.

In Australia, oysters are collected from February to July, nucleated between March and December, and harvested in June, July and August, when water temperatures are coolest and the cultured pearls are at their most lustrous and colorful. During the pearl growing process, the oysters are stored at sea either on the sea floor in panels where divers tend to them, or, more commonly, on a long-line system, where net panels hold the oysters below the surface of the ocean hung from lines attached to buoys.

When farmers harvest South Sea pearls, they typically don’t treat them beyond washing them. The pearls are typically then shipped to be sold at major auctions; the prices that are set at those auctions influence prices around the world.

South Sea Jewelry
South Sea pearls are not as plentiful as Japanese akoyas, and experienced pearl sorters can go through as many as 10,000 pearls before they find even two to match for fine jewelry. As you can imagine, a strand of large, round, high quality South Sea cultured pearls is very expensive, costing upward of tens of thousands of dollars. Because these strands are outside the means of most people, jewelry designers make South Sea pearls more affordable by using baroque or drop shapes, which are just as beautiful, yet less costly. If you ever get the opportunity to purchase a piece of South Sea jewelry—whether a costly strand or a single baroque pendant—I highly recommend it! You can pick up one for me while you’re at it. J

Want Gorgeous Pearls? Steal Them Here...

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http://moonriverpearls.com/catalog.aspx?cid=88&utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Summer_Sale_8_14_2008

My top picks:

16 Inch African Turquoise necklace, (pictured) on sale for $65

Three strand black pearl illusion necklace, $38

Carnelian stretch cuff, $20

Pearl and CZ weave ring, $29

Happy shopping!

Amy's Top Fashion Picks for Fall

Damn this blogger photo editor. Try to stay with me...

Here's what I'm into these days:

Steve Madden Oxfords, $115, http://www.piperlime.com/.

These shoes are so cute with jeans!

Organic Senorita Dress, $69, http://www.athleta.com/

Wear now as is, or pair with leggings and a tissue tee when the temperature drops.

A gorgeous leather jacket, like this one from JJill. http://www.jjill.com/, $299

Of course, fall outfits should be styled with statement-making jewelry. Consider a chunky pearl necklace a la Mrs. Obama and you're good to go.

Goodbye Kitty!

What's the deal with Hello Kitty? Girls (and women!) go crazy for this Japanese sensation, and I just can't figure out why.

The latest offering from Hello Kitty is a big ol' red scale. Why a company would want to associate its brand with the dreaded daily weigh-in is beyond me.

Will a Hello Kitty enthusiast enlighten me please?

What exactly am I missing?

What's Hot for Fall

Early style reports are already out, and fall 2008 promises to be a showstopper. Think broad-brimmed hats, statement-making pearls (we have Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain to thank for this trend), and a move away from basic black to a palette of greens, golds and browns. When shopping, remember to choose wisely: trends come and go, but classics, like a little black dress, pearl necklace, and a fabulous coat will last several seasons. Invest in these key pieces and spend wisely on ones that'll be a fashion Don't come next fall.

Pearls: Are They Right for You?

A lot has been made lately of Michelle Obama's and Cindy McCain's penchant for oversize pearl jewelry. Really, though, what else would a presidential hopeful's wife wear? A studded leather collar? Pearls are timeless because they look good on any woman, from any era, and instantly add polish and elegance. So I was amused to see a roundup of fashionistas' votes regarding pearls in a news story on WRAL. But here goes anyway:

• Rae Ann Herman, accessories editor at Glamour, says the key to wearing chunky pearls or beads is not to over-accessorize the rest of the outfit. "If you have on a major belt, stay away from a big necklace, and don't wear a huge earring with the huge necklace. Choose your statement and wear it." Also, she says, don't reserve pearls only for cocktail dresses or suits. While that's a classic look, pearls look more youthful when paired with a T-shirt.
• Stylist Mary Alice Stephenson notes that pearls work for every budget because, as lovely as the very expensive Tahitian pearls are, there are perfectly serviceable faux pearls at mass retailers for $29.99, Stephenson says. "There is great costume jewelry out there ... and we don't call them `fake' pearls, we call them `faux' pearls," she says. "Just because they're faux doesn't mean they're cheap. They can be great looking and accepted whether you're a liberal or a conservative."
• Ginger Burr, founder of Total Image Consultants in Lynn, Mass., has a guiding rule for pearls and beads: Women with small features should wear small-scale beads - maybe multiple strands - while women with larger features can wear the larger beads.

I say, choose the look you love and rock it no matter what. Pearls, whether real or faux, oversize or classic 8mm, always look good.

Pearls: Why go faux?

I cracked open my new issue of InStyle and saw a gorgeous t-shirt dress and patent leather Jean Michel Cazabat sandals that were to die for, paired with a cute, nearly-$1000 leather clutch and a double strand of faux pearls for, gasp, $125. Yes, it seems like a bargain compared to the purse and the shoes, but the gasp is for the stupidity of the recommendation. I don't understand why anyone would buy faux pearls when real pearls are affordable. Case in point, this gorgeous 60-inch freshwater pearl strand is on sale for $60. That's right, less than HALF of the faux strand. My advice? Get the dress, the sandals, even the $680 bag, but toss in real pearls. www.moonriverpearls.com