CULTIVATING THE PEARL PRODUCING OYSTER
Each oyster is inserted with a small spheric nucleus made of shell, then reintroduced in suspended baskets into a well protected and nourished ocean bay. Technicians verify daily the water temperature and oyster feeding conditions. During the winter months the baskets of oysters are moved to warmer waters.
The oysters are periodically extracted from the ocean to receive health and cleansing treatments. Algae and other maritime elements may block their feeding and must be carefully removed from the shell. Sometimes the shell requires a medical liniment to avoid parasite infections and illness.
With time, the oysters that have survived dangers like typhoons, red tide, or predators are brought to shore and examined. If everything went well the oyster will have produced a valuable pearl.
Only a small percentage of oysters survive and produce high quality pearls. It is rare to obtain a perfect pearl. Two cultivated pearls are never exactly the same, each pearl has its unique combination of shape, size, gloss and color.
This unique combination of traits requires the well trained eyes of an expert who though years of experience and millions of pearls viewed will select the best suited to be strung together and compose a beautiful necklace.