South Sea Pearls have a couple of unique characteristics that set them apart from other cultured pearls. South Sea pearls have a satiny luster that make a South Sea pearl necklace a family heirloom favorite to be passed from one generation to the next. A gorgeous South Sea pearl necklace is available in an array of colors. Most commonly chosen is white, but silver and gold are also options that are rare in other pearl choices.

South Sea pearl is produced and harvested in the Indian and Pacific Oceans by a specific type of oyster called the Pinctada maxima mollusk. These beautiful pearls are among the largest, making them some of the most valuable and most commonly used in cultured pearl jewelry.

The South Sea pearls grow much larger than other pearls because of several reasons. The first is the large size of the oyster. The second is the size of the implanted bead. The amount of time that the pearl is left to grow in the oyster before it is harvested is usually a longer period than with other types of pearls. The environment in which the oyster lives also plays a large part in the size of the harvest. The large oysters are able to have a bigger bead nucleated at a younger stage, when it is half developed, resulting in a longer growing period for the pearl.

The environments where the pearls are harvested are also much different than other pearls. The South Seas near Australia, the Philippines, and Indonesia are very clean and have a healthy food source, primarily plankton. The pure water and large amount of food increases the nacre production. The growth period between harvests for South Sea pearls is much longer than for other pearls. Pearls from the South Seas are harvested only after a two-year minimum to allow a larger size pearl to form and coloration to reach its peak. These lustrous pearls are most commonly chosen to be made into dazzling strands that women covet.

Laguna Pearl has an amazing selection of South Sea pearls and would be the perfect location to select a South Sea pearl necklace of your own. Different sizes, shapes and colors can be found to suit any price range. These alluring gems make an excellent piece to add to your jewelry collection that will be a favorite for many years to come. Pearls give the wearer an air of elegance and class that cannot be matched with other gems.