Cultured saltwater, or sea?pearls come from oysters in oceans, seas, gulfs, and bays and are produced in different parts of the world including Australia, French Polynesia, China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Mexico, and The Cook Islands. The best known among the hite?pearls are the Japanese Akoya and the larger South Sea pearls. Naturally black cultured pearls from Tahiti and The Cook Islands are most popular among the ancy color?pearls.
Culturing a pearl within an oyster requires a significant amount of expertise, time, and dedication. After selecting the perfect oyster for pearl production – oysters with thick shells and beautiful interiors are optimal candidates, a nucleus is delicately inserted into the oyster. Every pearl nucleus is created from freshwater mussels, called pig-toe-shell, found in the Mississippi River. After insertion of the pig-toe-shell nucleus, the oysters are returned to the sea where they are submerged in wire-mesh baskets and hung from specially designed floating rafts to protect them from natural enemies. Constantly and carefully monitored for extreme temperature changes, red tides and other oyster predators, the oysters are left submerged. During this time, the nacre forms around each nucleus. Amazingly, by the end of this process, each oyster will have covered the nucleus with thousands upon thousands of layers of nacre to form a beautiful lustrous pearl. Depending on the size and quality desired, the pearls are harvested after 2 to 3 years of cultivation.
Aside from one significant difference, the basic process of pearl producing is the same in both saltwater and freshwater pearls. To manufacture a pearl, the freshwater mussel requires the insertion of a piece of mantle tissue alone, whereas with the saltwater oyster, a round bead nucleus is inserted in addition to the piece of mantle tissue. This nucleus is often times rejected or causes the oyster to die. Just 30 to 35 percent of these oysters actually produce a pearl of which only a small fraction will be of fine quality.
Saltwater cultured pearls command higher prices than freshwater cultured pearls for several reasons. The costs and risks of producing saltwater pearls are much greater due to the higher costs incurred in obtaining the shell bead nucleus, extra labor for the skilled technicians to perform the implant surgery, and because a significant number of oysters are required for a good yield. However, the most important reason for the cost difference is related to the simple economics of supply and demand. Compared to freshwater mussels that can produce 40 to 50 pearls at a time, the saltwater oyster is limited in its production to just 1 to 2 sizeable pearls.
With respect to quality, saltwater pearls acquire properties from the sea that not only provide for a deeper luster and orient but also preserve their beauty for generations. Furthermore, historically oceanic pearls have been highly valued for their rarity. Early pearl fishers risked their lives facing the many dangers of the deep sea while diving for the precious gems.
