South Sea pearls have a history that dates back thousands of years. Indigenous Australians believed they had supernatural powers and used them to interpret dreams. In the 1850s, Broome, Australia became a commercial center for South Sea pearls, but the industry didn't take off until the mid-20th century. In 1906, Englishman William Saville-Kent successfully cultivated a pinctada maxima pearl, and in 1956, an American entrepreneur and Japanese technician started the first pearl farms in Kuri Bay. The Paspaley Pearl Company also opened farms in 1962 and 1970, and became known for producing high-quality pearls while also helping to preserve the native oyster population.
Today, South Sea pearls are cultivated in the waters off Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Japan, and Thailand. The value of a South Sea pearl depends on many factors, including its size, color, shape, surface quality, and luster. The most valuable pearls are fine white, rose white, silver white, and deep gold in color. They can be baroque, semi-baroque, button, drop, or round in shape, and range in size from 9–18 mm, with some pieces being as large as 20 mm or more. Rare pearls can even be 30–40 mm in size.
