This 9 to 10mm white Australian/Indonesian south sea cultured pearl necklace
is has an interesting background. Known as the "baby south seas", these
pearls are the smallest that the Pinctada Maxima oyster can produce. Farmers
know that if they keep these babies in the water for just a little bit
longer, they can yield twice the price. So as far as rarity goes, you don't
see these too often. Like most south sea pearls these exhibit a white
bodycolor with a silvery overtone—unlike the Japanese akoya cultured pearls
(available in both silver and rosé overtones). South sea pearls come from a
different oyster than Akoya pearls and therefore simply look different. As
you can see from the close up, these pearls are round, high luster
and clean. They do make the mark of "B" quality, the second highest grade of
the A, B, C and D nomenclature assignged to grade south sea pearls. If you
were looking for a comparable akoya strand, don't waste your time. Similar
sizes and qualities of Japanese Akoya Cultured Pearls run anywhere from
$6,500 to $12,000 for uniform 9 x 9.5mm and 9.5 x 10mm necklaces in the AA
qualities.
