A Brief History of Pearls: South Sea Pearl Quality Evaluation

SOUTH SEA PEARL QUALITY EVALUATION

South Sea pearls are among the rarest of all cultured pearls. They're typically much larger than other cultured pearls, and they develop a beautiful, silky luster. However, because these pearls have a long cultivation period that lasts between 2 and 3 years, they're more likely to become flawed as they develop. Large, round and on flawed pearls are extremely rare.

That, coupled with the fact that the Pinctada maxima oyster that produces these pearls is a wild species, makes South Sea pearls some of the most valuable on the market.

Evaluating Quality in South Sea Pearls

As with other types of pearls, South Sea pearls are evaluated for quality based on several factors, including:

• Size
• Luster
• Shape
• Color
• Surface

Typically, large pearls with high luster and a round shape are more valuable than South Sea pearls that feature irregularities, blemishes and other imperfections. It's important to remember that these pearls take quite some time to cultivate, which increases their value and makes them rarer than other types of pearls.