Pearl Farms by Marge Dawson

Many interesting and different Pearl Farms are scattered around the World. Pearls from rivers and lakes are called ‘freshwater pearls’ while all others are called ‘sea pearls’.

Hazards Pearl Farmers face, include wild storms at sea resulting in loss of crops, ‘Red Tides’ that use up the water’s oxygen, thieves that steal crops and others that blow up coral reefs for the calcium content.

It takes a minimum of 18 months to 2 years years for strong pearl nacre growth. Pearl divers need to continually clean the undergrowth off the oyster shells, growing in heavy wire baskets underwater, so that oysters can feed and grow their pearls.

Different species of oysters produce different colors pearls, for example, Pinctada Maxima with pure white shells produce pure white or gold pearls, while Margaritifera-cumingi are well known for the black pearls of Tahiti and various darker pearls.

Cultivated pearls which emerge in unmarketable colors, are drilled and dyed. Other pearls are treated with Gamma rays, which gives them a darker, metallic look, almost like some Black pearls.

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Pearls of Creation A-Z by Marge Dawson