Pearl Culture Technology

All pearls must have a nucleus from which the pearl has formed and grown.
In natural pearls the nucleus is usually a small piece of shell, grit, sand, mud or seaweed which has lodged its way into the shell via the ocean currents and tides. Most natural pearls are therefor small and baroque-shaped and of little value, however a large natural pearl is very rare and commands a high price.
In cultures pearls the nucleus is inserted by a specialist technician who will skilfully cut into the gonad of the pearl oyster and implant a round nucleus made from the shell of a Mississippi pig toe mussel.
A graft of mantle tissue 4mm square cut from a donor oyster is also accompanied with each nucleus.
After the operation procedure the pearl shell are placed into 6 pocket mesh panels and returned to the ocean for their growth cycle which can be 18-24 months.
During this time the mantle tissue implant will begin to form cells which develop into a pearl sac around the nucleus, then cover it with thin layers of nacre to form a pearl. The panels of pearl shell are suspended 6 metres underwater from sub-surface longlines which are anchored at both ends and have to be cleaned regularly of any marine growth and barnacles to ensure they remain in excellent condition.
The growth rate of the pearl depends upon the oysters health which is determined by the water temperature, salinity, ocean currents and the flow of plankton within the water column.
The pristine oceanic waters off Phu Quoc therefor provide ideal conditions for the cultivating of high quality South Sea Pearls (10-18mm).