This incredible White South Sea pearl measures an astonishing 21.3mm in diameter. It's rare size and perfect roundness and luster make this pearl a Queen among pearls.
Secreted away in various atolls and tropical lagoons of the Philippine Islands are the legendary pearl farms of Jewelmer - the largest producers of Golden South Sea pearls in the world.
Golden South Sea pearls are nick-named the "Rolls Royce" of Cultured pearls, and are famous worldwide for their stunning Golden colors, larger-than-life sizes and sumptuous, satiny luster.
Jewelmer was born in 1979, the brain child of businessmen Jacques Branellec and Manuel Cojuangco. Jewelmer has grown over 40 years to a world-wide recognized brand and has flagship boutiques in 17 countries from Japan to Kazakhstan to the UAE to Colombia.
Golden South Sea pearls are cultured in the Golden-lipped Pinctada maxima saltwater pearl oyster, which can grow up to a foot in diameter at maturity ... that's nearly the size of a dinner plate!
The farms are situated in the protected tropical waters of atolls and lagoons, which offer a safe place for the oysters to grow and create their rare, naturally colored South Sea pearls.
Golden South Sea pearls are the world's only naturally-colored Golden pearls. These stunning colors can range from pale Champagne to ultra dark 24K Golden tones.
Overtones range from neutral Gold to Silver, Green/Bronze, and Rose secondary colors.
Sizes typically range from 8.0-9.0mm up through 15.0-16.0mm and even larger! The average sizes range from 9.0-10.0mm through 13.0-14.0mm (which is still quite large!).
To cultured Golden South Sea pearls, Jewelmer breeds its own oysters from spat on the farm itself, rather than collecting wild oysters from the ocean. This ensures that the farm's impact on the wild oyster population is minimal.
After nucleation, the oysters are suspended in baskets and hung from floating long lines and buoys, and allowed to grow the pearls inside for a period of 18-24 months. Divers and maintenance workers check on the oysters regularly to ensure that the shells are healthy and clean, and that the pearls growing inside haven't been rejected by the host mollusc.
The Golden pearls are harvested after a period of 2-3 years, and the pearls typically will consist of a large amount of baroque shapes, buttons, drops and circled pearls. Only about 3% of each pearl harvest consists of fine quality rounds that are beautiful enough for fine jewelry.
The pearls are washed and scrubbed to remove any residue after harvest, however the pearls are naturally beautiful all on their own, and no other treatments are needed (like bleaching, pinking or luster treatments) for these pearls to stand on their own.
For more information on the incredible Golden South Sea pearl visit our South Sea Pearl Buyer's Guide.
