South Sea cultured pearls are the largest type of cultured pearls. The Goldens are the rarest of the rare of the South Sea Pearls.

Most South Sea Pearls range around 9-14mm, but some grow as large as 20mm and more. South Sea pearls are farmed in the warm waters of the...south seas. Their birth mother is the Pinctada Maxima mollusk. These oysters are gigantic and grow to be 20-30 cm across. Golden South Sea pearls are grown in the gold lipped variety of the Pinctada Maxima. The actual gold lip is on the inside mother of pearl interior of the shell and creates the color of the pearl, as well as the nutrients in the water. The most desirable color is the deepest golden, but the lighter shades sometimes work better for some people.

The Golden South Sea farms are mostly in the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Myanmar. For the South Sea oysters, only ONE pearl can be grown in each massive oyster and the gestation period is 2-3 years. For Freshwater mollusks, up to 35 pearls can be grown in a single mollusk and it only takes 8 months before a harvest. So, you can see why South Sea pearls are more rare and more expensive.

The warm South Seas cause pearls to grow at a slower rate which causes a beautiful satin luster. The smaller Akoya pearls...also saltwater pearls, are grown in cooler temperatures in Japan and this results in a higher luster sheen. 

The more you know about pearls, the more you know.