Pearl Jewelry & Necklaces

For centuries, pearl divers have sought oysters in the clear waters of the Indonesian archipelago. The oysters were harvested for their valuable inner mother of pearl shell, which was used to make buttons. On rare occasions pearls Barok Necklacewere found inside, a valuable find. Stories of life in Batavia in the 1600s make mention of Arab traders of pearls and their popular wares.

In Indonesia traditional diving and its very low rate of success in finding pearls has been largely replaced in recent decades by the cultivation of cultured pearls. In the late 1800s, three Japanese inventors, the most famous of which was Mikimoto, discovered the technique to culture both saltwater and freshwater pearls. Pearl farms, found in China, Japan, the US and the tropical waters of Southeast Asia produce millions of beautiful cultural pearls annually, which is primarily what is found on the market today.

The Japanese have been interested in cultivating pearls in Indonesia. By the mid-1990s, heretofore minor interests had led to major investment by domestic and Japanese investors in the cultured pearl industry in Indonesia, not only in the province of Maluku, but also in Southeast and Central Sulawesi, West Nusa Tenggara, Lombok and Lampung. In the last few years, some pearl cultivation has moved out of the areas of unrest in Maluku and Sulawesi and pearl cultivators are finding new sites in the clear waters of Irian Jaya and off other islands to cultivate their treasures.

Stringing a pearl necklace.In Indonesia, the primary cultivation is of South Sea Pearls, grown in saltwater farms in the silver lip or gold lip oyster (Pinctada Maxima). This type of oyster grows well in the waters off Indonesia, Australia, the Philippines, and Japan. The natural colored pearls produced by these oysters include silver/white, silver, pink, cream and golden. The proper term for these pearls is “saltwater cultured pearls”. The high-luster, perfectly spherical white pearl commands the highest price, as it can take the oyster many years to grow the largest pearls.

Whatever the shape or size, the work of the oyster to deposit the thousands of layers of thin calcium carbonate crystals, creates beautiful pearls which have been treasured by women for jewelry and ornamentation for centuries. Neither cut nor polished, pearls are the only natural gem that comes ready to wear.