Why South Sea Pearls Are So Expensive | So Expensive | Business Insider
Business Insider・6 minutes read
South Sea pearls are highly valuable, taking around five years to cultivate a single pearl worth $1500 each, with a necklace of them selling for over $200,000 based on their size, luster, shape, and color. The cultivation process involves creating ideal conditions for oyster larvae by maintaining specific room temperatures and feeding them phytoplankton, with only a fourth of the oysters surviving the implantation process to form the pearls.
Insights
- South Sea pearls are incredibly valuable, aiming for a perfect round shape of 20mm diameter, each selling for $1500, making a necklace of these pearls worth over $200,000.
- The cultivation of South Sea pearls is a meticulous process, taking five years per pearl due to slow oyster growth, with only a fourth of the oysters surviving the cultivation process, involving precise conditions, feeding phytoplankton, and implanting a nucleus for pearl formation, graded by size, luster, shape, and color.
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Recent questions
How valuable are South Sea pearls?
Highly valuable, selling for $1500 each.
How long does it take to grow a South Sea pearl?
About five years due to slow oyster growth.
What is the process of cultivating South Sea pearls?
Involves creating ideal conditions for oyster larvae.
What happens during the implantation of the nucleus in pearl cultivation?
Oyster forms protective layers around irritant.
How are South Sea pearls graded?
Based on size, luster, shape, and color.
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Summary
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"South Sea Pearls: Valuable and Lengthy Cultivation"
- South Sea pearls are highly valuable, with a goal of creating a near-perfect round pearl with a 20mm diameter, selling for $1500 each, making a necklace of these pearls worth over $200,000.
- Cultivating South Sea pearls is a lengthy process, taking about five years to grow a single pearl due to the slow growth of the oysters, with only a fourth surviving cultivation.
- The process of cultivating South Sea pearls involves creating ideal conditions for oyster larvae to grow into pearl-producing adults, including maintaining a specific room temperature and feeding them phytoplankton.
- Implantation of the nucleus into the oyster is a crucial step in pearl cultivation, with the oyster reacting to the irritant by forming protective layers around it, resulting in the pearl's formation, with the final product being graded based on size, luster, shape, and color.
