South Sea Pearls

South Sea pearls are cultivated from the Pinctada Maxima (white lipped oyster).  These oysters can grow up to 12” in diameter, but the oysters can only be nucleated one at a time.  The process of nucleating the oysters one at a time makes south sea pearls very valuable.  These pearls grow in between 9mm to 20 mm with the average size being 13 mm, making them one of the largest commercially harvested pearls in the market.  Their size is due to the size of the oyster and the length of time it is allowed to incubate.  They usually have a white, silver, or golden hue and their nacre is unusually thick.