I love to take you on a visit to a pearl farm every once in awhile.

Pearl farms are fascinating for many reasons, but most importantly, they can only exist in some of the most clean and sustained water conditions. They are wonderful places to visit.

Phuket Pearl Farm is the oldest in Thailand, opened in 1967 on the island of Koh Rang in the Sapam Bay.  The Phuket penisula in Thailand is the "gold coast" of southern Thailand.

Sapam Bay was chosen as the site for the Phuket Pearl Farm because of the quality of the water. High and low tides bring in much of the nutrients for the oysters. The water temperatures are perfect between 26 and 29 degrees centigrade. 

There are three types of pearls produced in Phuket. Pinctada maxima oyster produces South Sea pearls, Pinctada fucata produces Akoya pearls, and the Pteria penguin, Mabe pearls.

They also have their own breeding facility to maintain a natural environment that is free of enemies of the oysters. The farm produces over 100,000 oysters a year.

Pearl farms are traditionally very socially responsible. Phuket provides education for many students to learn marine biology.

The farm also supports many jewelry designers and a major exhibition of crowns made for various Thai events.