Thailand and Burma (now called Myanmar). Currently, Indonesia is the most important producer of pearls in the 9 to 12 mm range. The main source of pearls over 12 mm has been Australia. Australia's first pearl farm was established in 1956 on the Northwest coast at Kuri Bay. Prior to that time, Australia was producing up to 75% of the world's supply of mother of pearl, and pearls were just sold as a byproduct.

The silver-lip (Pinctada maxima) oyster is the main oyster used in Australia to cultivate South Sea pearls. If it's healthy, it can produce up to four pearls inserted at different times. The cultivation period may range from 1 1/2 to 2 years. The oysters that are unsuitable for whole pearls or that reject the bead nucleus are used to culture mabe pearls. Most of the large white mabe assembled pearls sold are cultivated in South Sea silver-lip oysters.

Gold-colored pearls have recently become very popular, but they are rare. The yellow-lip (also called gold-lip) oyster in which they are occasionally found, normally produces light yellow and cream¬colored pearls. Indonesia is the main source of yellow pearls, but they are also produced in the Philippines and Thailand.

Price Factors

South Sea pearls are priced according to their luster, color, shape, surface perfection, size and nacre thickness. But low price does not necessarily mean low quality when it comes to shape, color and size. The low price results from a greater supply and a lower demand of certain colors, shapes and sizes. Luster, nacre thickness and surface perfection, on the other hand, do affect the actual quality of pearls. More information on each of these price factors is provided below.

LUSTER: The higher the luster, the more valuable the pearl. White South Sea pearls have a lower luster potential than Akoya pearls and Tahitian black pearls. Take this into consideration when evaluating white pearls.

COLOR: As is the case with Akoya pearls, choice of color should be based on what will look best on the person who will wear the pearls. The color varies depending on which variety of Pinctada maxima oyster the pearl comes from-the silver-lip or gold-lip. The silver-lip oyster, the main oyster in Australia.

tends to produce silvery white pearls. The gold-lip variety, which is more commonly found around countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, is more likely to produce yellow or cream¬colored pearls.

The body color of South Sea pearls is judged in about the same way as it is in Akoya pearls. Usually white and pink pearls are more valued than yellowish and cream-colored pearls, but there is now one major exception. Pearls with a natural strong pinkish-yellow color that dealers identify as golden (can sell for as much as pinkish white pearls of the same size and quality. The more saturated the gold color, the more valuable the pearl. Light yellow colors are not highly valued. The actual colors of these pearls is probably different. Photographs do not show fine nuances of color accurately.

The presence of overtones and iridescence is very desirable in South Sea pearls. In white pearls, pink and silver overtones are more highly valued than bluish-gray and greenish overtones. Bluish overtones, however, are appreciated if they are combined with pink overtones.