10 facts about Pearls

Take a look at some fun facts you might not have known about pearls and their origin.

1. Pearls are the only Gemstone to be produced from a living organism
2. 99% of the pearls seen on the jewellery market are cultured pearls, and it is very rare to come across a natural pearl. Natural pearls are amongst the rarest jewels in the world, making up only 1% of the global jewellery market commanding a very high price.
3. There are 4 types of pearls species including White/Gold South Sea Pearls, Tahitian Pearls, Akoya Pearls & Freshwater Pearls.
4. Pearls can be crushed and used for cosmetics and skin care products
5. The pearl is the birthstone for the month of June, and gift chosen to celebrate a 30^th anniversary
6. A Pintada maxima oyster, which produces the South Sea pearl, can be seeded up to 4 times producing up to 4 pearls and is the most coveted and valuable of all pearls.
7. Pinctada maxima oysters are rhythmic hermaphrodites, changing sex from male to female and they may have more than one gender reversal in a lifetime.
8. The colour of a South Sea pearl is determined by the colour of oyster ‘lip’ which is the outer edge of the shell.
9. South Sea pearl farming is a sustainable practice and requires pristine ocean conditions to produce high quality pearls.
10. All bi-products of South Sea pearl farming including the pearl, pearl meat and Mother of Pearl shell are sold.