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Pearl Education

South Sea Pearls

South Sea Pearls are cultivated from oysters found around North Western Australia and South East Asia. The resulting pearls are thick in nacre and are the largest of any cultured pearl. These beautiful jewels of the ocean come in silver or gold hues but are also available in variations of cream, pink and pure white. They are typically large pearls, ranging in sizes from 8mm to 20mm. All our Australian South Sea Pearls are genuine and have never been treated in any way.

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Akoya Pearls

Akoya pearls are imported from the salt waters of Japan and typically exceptional lustre and great shine. They are rare and are usually only found between 2mm to 9mm due to the smaller size of the oyster they are cultivated from. Akoya pearls are typically white or cream in colour with a rose, cream or ivory undertone, however, they can also be treated to take on a black colour.

Keshi Pearls

Occasionally when a mollusc is opened at harvest, a non-nucleated pearl is found. These pearls are not cultured but are a by-product of the culturing process when a previously cultured oyster spontaneously produces a pearl due to an irritant. This surprise of nature is known as the keshi pearl and is virtually all nacre and most often irregular in shape but very lustrous; a truly unique and valuable gem of nature.

Tahitian Pearls

Tahitian Pearls come from the warm pristine waters around Tahiti and several other French Polynesian islands. The pearl is produced by the black-lipped oyster and are the only pearl to achieve a naturally black body colour and are typically very large, ranging in size from 7mm to 20mm. Whilst often named the ‘black pearl’, Tahitian pearls are actually found in a wide range of colours ranging through grey, silver, blue and purple. Our Tahitian pearls come to you straight from nature in their purest form.

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Mabe Pearls

Our South Sea mabe pearls are created on the inside of the mollusc shell rather than inside the tissue. The pearl is made by gluing hemispherical plastic beads to the inside of the shells, which are then cut away. The unique nacre of the mabe oyster allows for brilliant rainbow-like hues as well as superior lustre.

Freshwater Pearls

Freshwater pearls are created through implanting molluscs with solely tissue and no bead. This results in a pearl made entirely of nacreous layers and gives them a beautiful lustre and durable surface that will not crack or peel open to reveal an inner bead. Freshwater pearls come in a diverse range of natural colours ranging from white through to cream, pink, peach, rose, lavender and purple. Freshwater pearls can also be found dyed in a variety of fashion colours. These pearls offer a beautiful lustrous finish at a fraction of the cost of Akoya pearls and smaller South Sea Pearls.