Pearl Creation

While most jewelry is fashioned from precious metals and stones buried deep within the earth, a pearl is one of the few jewels that is created within a living creature; an oyster. Pearls are currently cultivated by inserting a tiny foreign substance into the mantle of the oyster. Upon insertion, the oyster engages in a natural biological process of releasing nacre material that surrounds the foreign substance and protects the oyster's environment. Numerous layers of secreted nacre material result in the creation of a beautiful natural pearl.

Pearl Types

Oysters are capable of producing a number of different pearl shapes, ranging from off-round baroque to tear-like drops. A perfectly round pearl is the rarest shape for an oyster to produce, and is thus the most valuable in a pearl harvest. Pearls also come in an assortment of colors and styles depending on which region of the world they come from. Freshwater Pearls are cultivated in artificial water pools and usually originate in Asian countries such as China. The Pearl Source only offers freshwater pearls of the highest grade quality with superior luster and overtone. On the other hand, South Sea pearls are cultivated in natural ocean lagoons in countries such as Tahiti, Australia and the Philippines.

South Sea pearls include golden pearls which derive from Indonesia or the Philippines. Indonesian golden pearls are usually lighter in color and lower in quality. Pearl dealers will often times buy them because of their lower cost and dye them to achieve a richer more vibrant golden color. Golden pearls from the Philippines have a rich dark golden overtone which is completely natural and allows for exceptional luster. The Pearl Source only imports the highest quality rich golden pearls from the Philippines and guarantees that they are 100% natural and have never been artificially enhanced in any way. The Pearl Source also offers beautiful Australian white pearls that are unique within the South Sea region. Australian pearls are known for their rich satin luster and creamy white colors which derive from the tropical waters of the South Sea. Lastly, South Sea pearls include French Polynesian Tahitian pearls, which are also known as black pearls. Pearls from Tahiti offer the widest variety of colors ranging from basic green or gray pearls, to exotic peacock, lime, blue, copper, bronze, or even purple overtones. Although such colors and overtones are rare and uncommon, The Pearl Source is known for specializing in creating exquisite necklaces with these exotic colors.

Pearl Sorting

The Pearl Source imports all our pearls directly from the pearl farms of their native origin. The pearls go through a rigorous sorting process which separates them by size, shape, and grade quality. Our on-site pearl experts personally inspect and match every pearl to create some of the most unique and elegant pearl necklaces and jewelry available anywhere.