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." The phrase is derived from the country's well-known pearl farming industry.
Japan is the acknowledged leader in Akoya pearl production – known to produce the best, most consistently beautiful Akoya pearls in the world.
Akoya pearls are the preeminent cultured pearls. They are the pearls that the Mikimoto brand popularized. Prized by royalty and pearl connoisseurs for centuries, Akoya pearls have long been coveted for their perfectly round shape, richness, and deep luster.
South Sea. South Sea pearls are often referred to as the Rolls Royce of pearls. They are the largest and most valuable pearls grown today, with average sizes ranging from 10 to 15 millimeters. South Sea pearls grow in a large pearl oyster native to Australia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Indonesia.
The lip determines the pearl color. While the white pearls are also priced by jewelers, the gold pearl variety is the most coveted color. The gold South sea pearl's color can range from creamy white to deep gold, and the darker the color, the more expensive it becomes.
Australian South Sea Pearls are widely regarded as the most valuable Pearls in the world due to their size, lustre and scarcity.
The Pearl of Puerto, the Giga Pearl, and the Pearl of Lao Tzu (Pearl of Allah) are all rare, natural pearls that come from large clams found off the coast of the Philippines. Currently valued at over $100 million, the Pearl of Puerto would be a lifelong fortune for the fisherman if it is eventually sold.
The most classic and widely preferred pearl color is white. The white pearl is considered a symbol of purity, and is often associated with wedding and graduation celebrations.
Black Pearl Meaning
Black pearls are also said to offer protection to the wearer, and are sometimes believed to have special powers or to bring luck, prosperity and success.
A nacreous pearl is made from layers of nacre, by the same living process as is used in the secretion of the mother of pearl which lines the shell. Natural (or wild) pearls, formed without human intervention, are very rare.
The Pinctada maxima oyster can take up to five years to produce a single South Sea pearl, whereas more common freshwater oysters can take as little as three months and create dozens of pearls. This long cultivation process makes South Sea pearls rarer — and more expensive.
Pearls tend to be significantly less expensive in comparison to diamonds, offering a more affordable option for budget-conscious couples.
The Giga Pearl is owned by Abraham Reyes, a natural pearl and antiquities collector in Canada. Reyes comes from the rank of avid collectors. His great aunt, who is in her late 90s, is a major collector of Asian artifacts in the Philippines.
The most revered and highly prized pearl in the world, The Australian South Sea Pearl is cultured in the Pinctada maxima oyster from the pristine coastal waters of northern Western Australia.
The Australian South Sea pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima) is the largest and rarest of all pearl oysters, and produces the finest and most beautiful pearl nacre of any mollusc.
Because South Sea Pearls form over longer periods of time, they are more costly to cultivate. For this reason, there are a limited number of South Sea pearl farms, making the truly prized South Seas exceptionally rare. Not all cultured pearls are good enough to become Assael pearls.
Some of the world's most expensive pearls are so notoriously difficult to successfully produce and harvest that they are 'rarer than gold'.
High-Quality Pearls are a Wearable investment
While you might think that gold and silver is an obvious choice when buying investment jewelry, pearls are an excellent alternative. In recent years auction houses such as Christie's have sold pearl jewelry far exceeding the value of other gemstones.
Luster: Of the seven pearl value factors, luster might be the most important. Luster is what gives a natural or cultured pearl its unique beauty. Within a pearl type, when other value factors are equal, the higher the luster, the more valuable the pearl.
Worn often and properly cared for, pearls can look as good in 50 years as they did the day they left the store. Pearls are not the most durable of gems. Most everyday items at home and in the office are tougher than pearls, so careless contact can cause damage them over time.
Higher quality pearls originate from Japan since, as of now, the latter still hold the best processing techniques. These include better cleaning, bleaching, treating, sorting and matching. It might be useful to remember here that while China produces lower quality pearls, not all pearls from Japan are of high quality.
The recent global economic crisis had a large effect on the Chinese pearl industry. The overproduction of low-quality freshwater cultured pearls coupled with low demand and spiralling prices for these pearls, has meant that many pearl farmers could no longer cover their production costs.
Perfectly Round pearls are the rarest and most valuable shape there is! Pearl producing mollusks are usually nucleated with spherical bead nuclei (in the hopes that the resulting pearl will be a perfect Round).
A natural pearl may show growth lines where concentric layers of nacre have been added. Cultured pearls on the other hand will appear to have a perfectly rounded nucleus that's surrounded by a halo of conchiolin and finally a thin outer layer.