Golden Pearl Farming in Philippines
The clean waters around the island of Palawan in the Philippines Sea have attracted investors to pearl farming for decades. There are several pearl firms actively operating at Palawan, but only one cultivates the exquisite and rare golden pearl – Jewelmer,
Jewelmer is the only pearl producer in the world that has successfully produced pearls with a rich, natural golden color. Through decades of research and biotechnology, Jewelmer was able to perfect the breeding process that produces gold-lipped Pinctada maxima pearl oysters capable of growing large, lustrous, golden pearls. This deep, rich color can only be found in South Sea pearls produced in the Philippines.
Pearls are cultured by transplanting a tiny piece of mantle tissue of an oyster shell into a the shell of a young oyster. This graft forms a pearl sac and precipitate calcium carbonate into this pocket. Over time, this grows into a pearl. It takes 2 to 5 years for a pearl to mature. "Cultivation of pearls is very time-consuming process," explains Jacques Branellec, managing director of Jewelmer. "Any change in temperature and water conditions can affect the oysters. For 38 years I have been in cultivation of pearls, but I’m always learning something new.”
A board showing the placing and the state of the oyster lines on one of the Palawan farms.
A biologist examining a gold pearl under a microscope.
Three species of Oysters: (left to right) white, gold, black.
Young oysters are transported by helicopter to a neighboring farm for further growth.
A worker holding a cage where oysters will spend the next 2 to 3 years.
Oyster cages are suspended by ropes at a depth of 15 meters.
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