珍珠的分類 Classification of Pearls

南洋珍珠（South Sea Pearl）
產地澳洲西北、馬來西亞、印尼、菲律賓沿海，而馬來西亞Edward Kong South Sea Pearl在斗湖的珍珠島，是馬來西亞唯一的南洋珍珠養殖場，所用的珍珠母蚌為金唇蚌(學名Pinctada Maxima，俗稱Gold Lip)，生產的珍珠大小約(直徑)10~18mm，多以金珠和香檳金及白色為主，其中以生產的金珠最為知名和昂貴。

大溪地黑珍珠（Tahitian Pearl）

因為黑珍珠99%產自大溪地海域，母貝為黑唇蚌(貝)。

日本養珠（Akoya Pearl）

主要產區為日本海域（因其母蚌屬較小品種，故只可養殖3.5~10mm），但Akoya沒有生產金

珠。

淡水養殖珠 (Fresh water Pearl)

主要生產在中國地區如海南島或北海及各湖泊區，淡水珠每個母蚌一次可植入20~40枚的珠

核，並只要6個月即可培養9~12mm的淡水珍珠；而南洋珍珠和日本養珠每顆母蚌只可以植入

1枚珠核，而南洋珠需要4年才能培養出一顆，因此淡水珠的成本較南洋珠低廉許多， 南洋珍

珠層厚度達到2mm以上，是淡水珍珠層厚度的100倍以上，目前每顆南洋珍珠市價大約是淡水

珠的300倍。

(a)  South Sea pearls are cultured in North West Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines. Edward Kong South Sea Pearl’s pearl islands which are situated closed to Tawau are the only South Sea pearl farms in Malaysia. Pinctada Maxima, colloquially known as the golden-lipped oyster, is the type of oyster raised in these farms which produces pearls sized from 10 to 18mm with overtone colour in gold, champagne and white. Gold pearls produced in these islands is the most well known and expensive in the world.

(b)  Tahitian pearls are black pearls produced by black-lipped oyster called Pinctada Margaritifera in and around in Tahiti’s waters and the French Polynesian islands.

(c)  Akoya pearls’s main cultivating area is in Japanese water. Akoya oysters are the smallest pearl-producing oyster used in pearl culture today, therefore Akoya pearls tend to be small ranging in size from 3.5 to 10mm. Akoya oysters do not produce gold coloured pearls.

(d)  Fresh water pearls’ main cultivating area is in China in areas such as Hainan Island, the North Sea or various lakes in mainland China. Fresh water oysters can be nucleated with 20-40 nucleus and take only 6 months to produce pearl in the size from 9-12mm. South Sea pearls’ and Japanese cultured pearls’ oysters can only be nucleated with 1 nucleus at a time whereby each South Sea pearl take up to 4 years to be produced. That is the reason why fresh water pearls’ prices are a lot cheaper than South Sea pearls. Besides, South Sea pearls’ nacre thickness is at least 2mm and above, which is a 100 times thicker than fresh water pearls. Currently, the market value of South Sea pearls is 300 times over that of fresh water pearls.