Chapter two of Pearls A Practical Guide considers the process by which farmed pearls are grown and how they reach the customer – so farming, processing, wholesale and retail.
Pearl farms tend to be located in remote and beautiful places.
I’m always amazed at how the pearl farm staff find their way around the farm, which presents as buoys dotted around an area of sea.
The result of one bowl-full of oysters, white/gold, round, drop, baroque; smooth and with knobbly bits and a completely weird black/dark violet fireball which turned out to have paper thin nacre which crumbled over time and which pretty much defied explanation (but oh, wouldn’t it be lovely to somehow produce pearls in that colour!)
Videos
cleaning the shells, gold south sea pearls Indonesia
Cleaning the shells…gold South sea pearls,indonesia
Opening akoya oysters on a Vietnamese pearl farm
Washing pearls after harvest
Sieving pearls
Making pearl strands
Making a multicoloured necklace from loose pearls
Making the Romana necklace 1
Making the Romana necklace 2
Making the Romana necklace 3