When In Manila, and looking for a priceless jewel made from living mother nature, then there’s really only one place to go. Here’s my journey towards discovering the rarest of all pearls! The South Sea Golden Pearl!
Where to start on this story of the Golden Pearl is proving to be a very difficult task. There’s just so much to talk about with regards to this amazing adventure of mine. From the environmental and ecological benefits that the Golden Pearl advocates all the way down to the inspiring story of building the Golden Pearl Farms in Palawan, I’m completely at a loss of words.
But just like the Golden Pearl must take it’s first, of 323 steps, I too will take on that plunge.
A stay at nearby Flower Island automatically includes a visit and tour of the Jewelmer Golden Pearl Farms, not too far away. There, you’ll learn all about the ultra rare, South Sea Golden Pearls and about the environmental dangers the pearl, Palawan, and us humans face.
The Golden Pearl is the rarest and most exquisite of all the pearls from anywhere in the world. Many different countries produce white pearls, black pearls and even multi-colored / dyed various other colors, but the South Sea Golden Pearl is the most difficult to produce and is all completely natural.
The South Sea Golden Pearl of the Philippines is grown in the gold-lipped Pinctada Maxima Oyster. It is the biggest pearl producing oyster and because of environmental reasons, can only produce the Golden Pearls here in the Philippines.
Natural salt water sea pearls normally produce a much better luster, quality and size as compared to fresh water pearls. Moreover, fresh water oysters can actually produce up to 50 pearls at a time, while natural salt water sea pearls only produce one at a time. Again, adding to the exquisite and majestic nature of the salt water pearls.
These pictures below are from the Golden Pearl Farm labs where they produce the specific plankton that the oysters eat. They had to narrow it down to about 20 kinds of plankton from tens of thousands of different kinds of plankton.
Furthermore, one Golden Pearl takes 5 years, and 323 steps to produce. Moreover, there’s only a 10% chance that the oysters create the natural golden pearl.
To add to the complexity and difficulty of producing a Golden Pearl, the environment also plays a huge factor in the quality of the pearls. Environmental damages, pollution and global calamities can affect the quality of the pearls. Blemishes, discoloration and more can be seen on the surface of pearls if the environment and water conditions are not good.
Pristine tropical waters of the Palawan nurture the world’s largest pearl-bearing oyster, the gold-lipped Pinctada maxima oyster. A rich diversity of life, including rare and endangered species endemic only to the region, together with modern pearl farming technology, has enabled a unique partnership between man and nature to create the rare golden South Sea pearl.
All these factors and the sheer beauty of a South Sea Golden Pearl let former President Fidel V Ramos to declare the South Sea Pearl as the National Jewel in 1996.
I know, I learned a lot from that trip to the Palawan Pearl Farms. But, other than all that cool information, nothing beats being able to see the pearl technicians at work, and seeing how truly magical this whole process and operation is.
The best part of it all is seeing a Golden Pearl get pulled out of an oyster. It actually gave me Goosebumps seeing this, as captured in the video below:
When In Manila, you need to discover the true beauty and luxury of the Philippines. Head over to the Golden Pearl Farms of Palawan and witness the birth of nature’s most exquisite jewel: The South Sea Golden Pearl!
Jewelmer operates fine pearl jewelry retail boutiques located in five-star hotels and high-end commercial malls in the Philippines and has trade and retail presence in Dubai, Hong Kong, Melbourne and Paris. Find your own Golden Pearl through their website here – https://www.jewelmer.com
National Jewel: The Rare South Sea Golden Pearl of Palawan
