"In the sea of my emotions, his presence is like a pearl in the oyster. Very hard to locate, yet very precious and beautiful." – Mehek Bassi
White South Sea Pearl and Diamond Necklace
Pure says: All hail the Queen!
Jewelry by Paspaley
ADMIRING THE BEAUTY OF WHITE SOUTH SEA PEARLS
White South Sea pearl photo courtesy of Paspaley Pearls
What better way to celebrate June - also known as the
Month of the Pearl - than doing it by admiring the gorgeous, stunning White South Sea pearl?!
Known as the Queen of Cultured Pearls these silvery saltwater pearls are known for their exquisite natural colors, luxuriously large sizes and opulent luster. These gorgeous pearls often display a softly glowing luster that begins to gently whisper to the beholder, disclosing its secrets long held locked under the depths of the blue waves. The longer and more lovingly the wearer observes their pearls, the louder the whisper becomes ...
So here's to June, the Month of the Pearl, and here's to her highness, the White South Sea pearl - long live the Queen!
White South Sea pearls are used to create all kinds of pearl jewelry; from classic strand necklaces to couture luxury designs, pearl earrings, pendants, bracelets and entrancing pearl rings. Their use in fine jewelry has always been important for designers, but these days more than ever, pearls and particularly White South Sea pearls have come into prominence in luxury jewelry design with famous jewelry houses around the world clamoring to elevate the Queen to her rightful place in today's glittering world of jewelry.
Cultured South Sea pearls come in two varieties or colors: White South Sea pearls and Golden South Sea pearls. The pearls on the map above show where the majority of the pearl farms are located that grow these cultured pearls. White South Sea pearls are typically farmed in Western Australia, most famously Broome and Kuri Bay which borders the warm, tropical waters of the Indian Ocean.
The legendary Paspaley Pearl Group has been farming White South Sea pearls in the Broome area since the 1930s; starting as natural pearl fishers, the pearling company has since expanded to numerous pearl farms encompassing over 2,500 kilometers of Australian coastline.
There are numerous other smaller pearl farms operating in the area, notably Atlas Pearl, Cygnet Pearl Company and Autore Pearls, but Paspaley Pearl Group is by far and away the oldest, the largest and the most famous producer of the White South Sea pearl today.
One of the Paspaley Group's ocean-going fleet docking next to an oyster cleaning ship. Many of Paspaley's pearl cultivation operations are kept off-shore in deeper waters. Photo courtesy Paspaley Pearls
White South Sea pearls are nurtured within the shell of the Pinctada maxima, the Silver-Lipped saltwater oyster which can grow up to a foot in diameter at maturity. The white colored outer edge of the oyster, or lip, is where most pearlers and marine biologists believe that a pearl's body color will come from.
Polished Silver-lipped oyster shell image courtesy of Atlas Pearl
This produces a visually stunning range of white pearls that can range from a optically bright white to a warm, creamy white to the cooler silvery-blue hues that White South Sea pearls are known for. The most valued and famous White South Sea pearls come in a bright white body color with a shimmering and pale Rose Overtone.
White South Sea pearl necklaces showing variation in sizes and colors/overtones by Pure Pearls
The most common Overtone for cultured South Sea pearls from Australia that most people will come across when purchasing or examining White South Sea pearls is the pale Silver Overtone, which gives these pearls their trademark bright white appearance. My favorite Overtone is a hybrid of the two: Silver-Rose, which combines that bright white appearance and Silver sheen, lightly kissed with Rose to really amp up that color complexity and surface sparkle!
Cream is less well-known (and less favored), and most often you'll come across creamy White South Sea pearls ... these pearls are usually farmed in Indonesia, which is starting to dive into the pearl farming industry, but are dealing with oysters situated closer to the Philippines where Golden South Sea pearls are farmed.
We love these Silver-Rose Overtones (the incredibly sharp luster for AAAA Quality isn't too shabby either!) of this 10.0-11.0mm White South Sea matched pair for earrings. The visual complexity is off the charts! Pearls by Pure Pearls
South Sea pearls are the very largest cultured pearls in the world and can range from 8.0-9.0mm up to an average of 16.0-17.0mm ... one of the very largest and most famous White South Sea pearls in the world is the Paspaley Pearl which measures an astonishing 20.39mm in size! While other White South Sea pearls have attained even larger sizes - I saw one topping 21.0mm come across my desk a few years ago - the Paspaley Pearl is considered to be the most perfect.
Found in 2002 at one of the Paspaley Pearl Group's pearl farms located on Vanisstaart Bay, Australia, the Paspaley Pearl is a one-of-kind marvel actually discovered on the same day that the founder's son (and current chairman) Nick Paspaley went to the farm for a visit!
Nick Paspaley AC, summed up his feelings on this natural miracle, when he made the following comments : "I have never seen a pearl like this and I believe that there has never been a pearl in the world anywhere of this size and quality. It really is the "pearl of pearls." It has an intense pink coming from within, the finest nacre, perfect shape, perfect color and luster - truly unbelievable. We may never see another pearl like this one again."
While White South Sea pearls are amongst the largest, rarest and most luxurious of all cultured pearl types, owning these stunning pearls has never been easier or more affordable.
With a simple pair of White South Sea Earrings or a South Sea Pearl Pendant starting at under $1,000.00 for fine, AAAA Quality pearls, what better way to celebrate the Month Of The Pearl this year than by bringing the Queen of Cultured Pearls home?
Until next time ...
XO,
Ashley M.
OOH-OOH, THAT SOUTH SEA SHIMMER
A beautiful treasure from the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, this gorgeous White South Sea Pearl Necklace shines with brilliant luster and a lightly shimmering Silver-Rose overtone. The smooth, perfectly round pearls feature a shimmering iridescence that is the hallmark of a finely compacted crystalline structure.
The AAA Quality necklace smoothly graduates from 12.0mm to 14.0mm in the center, giving the layout a classic, "Old-World" romantic feel.
The pearls are individually double-knotted on matching white silk; finish the necklace with a clasp of your choice. The pearls will arrive in our Signature Little Black Box with a Certificate of Authenticity and Pearl Care Instructions.
