The Hunt for the Beautiful

Pearl hunting got it’s start in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. However around 0 AD the Han Dynasty of China began to hunt for pearls in the South China Sea. The culturing of pearls began in the early 20th century and was invented by William Saville-Kent. Most pearls on the market today are a result of culturing. During this process each pearl takes a different amount of time toform. An Akoya Pearl takes one year, whereas a Tahitian Pearl may take 2 to 4 years. It usually takes up to 7 years for a freshwater pearl to form! So even hunting is no longer the main source for pearls they still take a lot of effort and time to be created and harvested, which in turn adds to their value.