There are two varieties of South Sea oyster, and they will only grow one pearl at a time (although multiple ones over many years).
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Location: |
Australia, Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar |
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Oyster: |
Pinctada maxima mollusk (silver lipped and gold lipped). Up to 12 inches in diameter |
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Pearl size: |
Among the largest in the world, with an average diameter of 11mm, some as big as 20mm. |
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Pearl colour: |
White, silver, pink, gold and combinations of these. |
There are two varieties of South Sea oyster, and they will only grow one pearl at a time (although multiple ones over many years). They are distinguished by their edge colour of the shell – or ‘mother of pearl’, which also lends its hue to the pearl itself. The large Pinctada maxima shell and longer growth period (minimum two years) help the resulting beautiful specimens to become so big. The rich lustre of the South Sea pearl is unique and comes from the extra thick nacre coating – up to 10 times thicker than other pearls.