While China dominates the freshwater pearl market (over 95%), producing the vast majority of pearls globally, historically and for high-value saltwater pearls, countries like Japan, Australia, French Polynesia (Tahiti), and Indonesia are famous for specific types (Akoya, South Sea White/Golden, Tahitian) with Japan once leading saltwater cultivation, but today China leads in overall pearl numbers due to its massive freshwater output.
Australian South Sea Pearls are undoubtedly some of the rarest and most beautiful pearls in the world. These pearls achieve crème-de-la-crème status thanks to their unmatched luster, thick nacre, rich color variety, and size.
Black or Tahitian pearls (Pinctada margaritfera) are synonymous with Tahiti (French Polynesia), although they can also be found in Papua New Guinea, Australia, Cook Islands, Indonesia, India, Japan, Sudan, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and several other locations between the tropics.
China dominates global pearl production, accounting for over 70% of the market. Known for its freshwater pearls, the country produces 95% of the world's freshwater pearls, primarily in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Hunan provinces.
They thrive in the ocean environment on the North West coast of Australia, with the regions abundance of food in the warm, nutrient-rich water. 'Pinctada' is Latin for pearl producing and 'maxima' is Latin for large. Together, this name identifies the Pinctada maxima as the largest pearl producing oyster in the world.
Australia is home to the world's highest quality, precious opal. The most famous is black opal from Lightning Ridge in New South Wales. Black opal has a colour play of red, green, blue, violet, magenta or yellow against a dark background.
The most expensive pearl colors are often deep, rich hues like Golden South Sea (especially 24k deep gold), rare Peacock Tahitian (dark green/blue/purple overtones), and intensely pink or pink-overtoned White South Sea pearls, with value heavily depending on rarity, luster, size, and lack of blemishes, rather than just the base color itself. While white and black are common, specific, saturated, and rare overtones within these categories command the highest prices.
Natural Black pearls (uncultivated) are extremely rare and are found in about 1 in every 10,000 oysters. In an effort to preserve the species, it is illegal to dive to find natural pearls.
Freshwater Pearls
Cultivated in freshwater lakes and rivers—mostly in China—these pearls are the most affordable and versatile. They come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and natural pastel colors such as pink, lavender, and peach.
The Giga Pearl is owned by Abraham Reyes, a natural pearl and antiquities collector in Canada, whose great-aunt collected Asian artifacts in the Philippines. The pearl was given to her by Reyes's grandfather, who visited her in Manila and brought a giant clam as a gift or pasalubong, a custom in Filipino culture.
Some pearl “farmers” will remove pearls from an oyster without killing them, keeping them alive to endure repeated insertions of foreign materials to continue making pearls. It is estimated that around a third to half of them are kept while the rest are killed.
The Telugu film industry based in the city is the highest-grossing film industry in India as of 2021. Until the 19th century, Hyderabad was known for its pearl industry and was nicknamed the "City of Pearls", and was the only trading centre for Golconda diamonds in the world.
Remember to follow the "last on, first off" rule, applying pearls after makeup and lotions. Avoid brushing hair while wearing pearls and remove them before sleeping or showering. Clean them with a damp cloth and store them in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
The best pearls in Australia are the highly prized Australian South Sea Pearls, known for their large size, thick nacre, and magnificent luster, cultured from the rare Pinctada maxima oyster in the pristine waters of Western Australia, with top producers including brands like Kailis Jewellery, Paspaley, Pearls of Australia, and Willie Creek Pearls. These pearls are considered among the finest globally, with some farms also producing unique Akoya and Keshi pearls, offering exceptional quality and environmental benefits.
Bahrain, an island nation in the Persian Gulf lying between both the Qatar peninsula and the Saudi Arabian eastern coast, is known as the "Island of Pearls."
South Sea pearls are generally considered the most valuable pearls in the world. Their size, rarity, and long cultivation period make them pricier, especially in perfectly round shapes or natural golden tones. Tahitian pearls are also premium but slightly more accessible in comparison.
It was Jackie Kennedy who said 'pearls are always appropriate,' meaning that they suit all occasions and all outfits. Indeed pearls are still worn by many brides on their wedding days and feature in most jewellers' windows today.
At Costco, we take pride in the fact that our pearl jewelry meets the industry's highest quality standards. Our process ensures our pearls have good luster, shape, color and no obvious blemishes, and that the size of the pearls match where applicable.
The rarest pearl colors are natural blue and golden yellow, followed by strong pink, lavender, and true deep black, primarily from specific natural conditions or rare oysters like the Queen Conch (for pink) or Tahitian black-lip oysters, making them incredibly scarce compared to common white or dyed pearls.
Fans of cultured pearls take pride in the fact that the oysters are bred in cruelty free environments on pearl farms. However, PETA disagrees because of the process which requires pearl farmers to surgically open oyster shells. They then manually insert some form of irritant inside.
Matthew 13:45-46 The Message (MSG)
“Or, God's kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for exquisite pearls. Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it.
L'Incomparable Diamond Necklace: $55 Million
Valued at $55 million, the necklace features 407.48 carats of diamonds set in 18-carat gold, making it the world's most valuable necklace. It is currently owned by Mouawad, a Swiss and Emirati luxury goods company.
Mikimoto grades their pearls: A, A+, AA and AAA Quality, which is their highest/best pearl grade. Their AAA Quality Akoya are so rare, and so expensive, that there are only one or two strands produced each year.
The sad reality is that old, second-hand cultured pearls aren't worth a lot. There's no obvious place to sell them and you won't get much from a jeweller or by putting them on eBay. Our advice is to keep them as a memento or give them to someone who'll appreciate them.