Pearl farming.

My wife and I go to Hong Kong to buy pearls, fresh water and salt water (south sea and Tahitian). But we go to the wholesale warehouses and showrooms, not the farms.

The major pearl farms are located in Hainan Island, China,

and there are a sprinkling of smaller pearl farms in the new territories of Hong Kong, which we have been to. Those pearl farms are up near the Chinese border, outside of small, quaint fishing villages where the old way of life is quickly disappearing.

There are also pearl farms in the Philippines which we almost went too, but never did. They grow famous yellow pearls, golden south sea pearls.The adventure we almost went on was on a tramp steamer, we would sleep on the top deck and eat fresh fish that the crew would catch every day. Or we could catch. They would cook the fish on a grill on the deck. from Cebu Island to Palawan Island. The trip would have taken 2 days, but we couldn’t swing the time. Next time. We would be able to buy the golden south seaPearls at the farm price, bypassing the wholesaler in Hong Kong or Manila.

Key Pearl Farming Regions:

China: Produces the vast majority of the world's freshwater pearls, particularly in Zhejiang province.( we haven’t been there.)

Japan: Known for pioneering modern cultivation of Akoya pearls, with major farms in Ago Bay.(we haven’t been there).

French Polynesia (Tahiti): Famous for Tahitian black pearls, cultured in the lagoons of the Tuamotu Archipelago and Gambier Islands.(we haven’t been there.)

South Sea Regions (Australia, Indonesia, Philippines): Australia is known for white-lipped oysters, while Indonesia and the Philippines are major producers of white and golden South Sea pearls. (One day we will go to Australia).

United States: The Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl Farm is a notable, long-standing freshwater pearl farm in Tennessee.( we haven’t been there).

Other Locations: Cozumel, Mexico houses a small farm, and Phu Quoc, Vietnam is also a producer.

Pearl farms require, clean, nutrient-rich, and calm water to cultivate oysters for 1 to 4 years.

Pearl farming is the often sustainable cultivation of pearls by grafting a nucleus and mantle tissue into oysters, which then grow in protected marine environments for 1.5 to 4 years. It is a high-risk, high-reward business requiring 300+ steps,But where only about 5% of oysters may produce high-quality, valuable gems.

Key Aspects of Pearl Farming

Process: Young oysters are collected or raised, cleaned, and then "seeded" with a small shell nucleus and mantle tissue. They are kept in specialized, submerged baskets or nets in lagoons.

Timeframe: The entire cultivation process takes about 1.5 years for initial pearls, but can take up to 4 years for larger, more valuable ones.

Sustainability: Pearl farms often promote environmental health by acting as artificial reefs, supporting biodiversity, and requiring clean water to survive.

Harvest & Re-use: After harvesting, some oysters can be re-grafted, allowing for a second or third, often larger, pearl to be produced.

Here’s my wife Jme with some high end Tahitian pearls, on our bed in the hotel. The smile? Priceless.