Pearl Month: A Tribute to the South Sea Pearl
This Pearl Month, Jewelmer celebrates one of the Philippines’ most extraordinary treasures: the rare South Sea pearl. It carries special significance this year, marking the 30th pearl anniversary of its declaration as the National Gem of the Philippines.
Renowned for its rarity and elegance, the South Sea pearl’s story begins long before it is admired as a fine jewelry creation. In the pristine waters of Palawan, a five-year journey unfolds through 377 individual steps. Each stage plays a role in the creation of this remarkable gem, guided by harmony between nature and human care.
The pearl’s journey begins in the hatchery, where parent oysters with the right qualities are carefully selected to breed the perfect pearl-producing oyster. The young oysters are then sent out to the sea for two to three years. Under the careful watch and nurturing of pearl divers, they grow in the natural conditions of the marine environment.
Once the oysters have reached maturity, a trained master grafter inserts a bead nucleus and a piece of mantle from a chosen donor oyster, into the gonad of the parent oyster.
After grafting, the oysters are placed in baskets and nets in the ocean, regularly turned and cared for by pearl divers. Under the right conditions, the oysters deposit layers of nacre around the inserted nucleus for about two to three years.
The magic happens in the harvest. This is the moment when the master grafter extracts a lustrous pearl from the oyster, and a living gem is born.
Jewelmer invites everyone to discover the remarkable journey behind the South Sea pearl.