Edward Kong South Sea Pearl南洋珍珠的養殖方式 Edward Kong South Sea Pearl’s Cultivating Methods

培育幼蚌(6個月)→成蚌(18個月)→打開母蚌(植入珠核)→母蚌恢復期(45天) →

→珍珠母蚌放入海域 (每2個月清洗一次)→養成母蚌(2年以上) →總計4年以上

全世界70多種大型蚌(貝)類中，有4種蚌(貝)類可以用來養殖珍珠，南洋珠養殖海域溫度較高，金唇母蚌(貝)分泌速度較快，因此南洋珠的珍珠層至少在2mm以上，而Akoya珍珠僅在0.25~0.35mm而已，因母貝種類不同會產生不同顏色的珍珠，而南洋珍珠自母蚌(貝)取出後不須經過人工處理，即可顯出漂亮天然的珠光。

Baby oysters are nurtured for 6 months → Oyster matured at 18 months old → oysters are nucleated by pry-opened the oyster mouth → Nucleated oysters take up to 45 days to recover → oysters are placed into opened sea with its shells consistently cleaned every 2 months → Take another 2 years to grow before harvesting → Total farming period of 4 years.

There are about 70 different types of oysters found in the world but only 4 types of oysters which are used for pearl farming for commercial purposes. The main reasons why South Sea pearls can grow up to such large sizes, dwarfing many other saltwater pearl counterparts, are the large size of the Pintada Maxima oyster; the length of time pearls are left to grow in the oysters; and the oysters’ living environment. The gonad of the Pinctada Maxima oysters is several times larger than that of, say, the Akoya oyster. Due to this larger gonad, the South Sea oyster can deposit nacre at a much quicker rate, especially in warm waters which speed the oyster’s metabolism rate. That made South Sea pearls naturally have nacre layer thickness of at least 2mm and above whereas, for example Akoya pearls have nacres thickness of only 0.25 to 0.35mm. Different oysters produce different colour pearls. South Sea pearls naturally possess pearl luster without the need for pearl treatments, a process where cultured pearls are routinely bleached and polished before sale thereby enhancing the aesthetic qualities of imperfect pearls.