A person holds their Australian South Sea keshi pearl set on a beautiful chain necklace. A woman stands, looking out at Cygnet Bay pearl farm, while wearing her stunning Impressions Pearl Ring and Pearl Pendant, both featuring large, white, round Australian South Sea pearls set in a unique hammered design and complemented by white sparkling diamonds.

Visible Virtues

The quality of our pearls

Visible virtues are the easily identifiable features that pearl connoisseurs use to value pearls, despite the absence of a universal grading system. In a global industry where chemical treatments are common, we prioritise understanding and disclosing every aspect of a pearl’s qualities, both visible and invisible, through education and expertise.

Each of our pearls boasts natural colour and lustre, accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. This certificate provides complete transparency, detailing both the visible attributes and the pearl's entire journey, from its nurturing origins to its emergence in Australia's pristine waterways.

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Our Seven Visible Virtues

  • A group of pearl's all with beautiful colour and lustre.

    Lustre

    Lustre is the interplay of light bouncing off a pearl’s surface (reflection) and penetrating deeper into the pearl’s structure (glow). Lustre is the most beautiful aspect of a pearl and is often considered its most important virtue.

    Unlike most pearls on the global market, the lustre of all PoA pearls are as nature intended, having not undergone any chemical enhancement.

  • A group of round pearls, of varying surface qualities, shining with their natural colour and lustre.

    Surface

    A pearl is created by a living creature and therefore almost always has surface imperfections and/or complexion irregularities. Surface issues manifest as little divots, lumps or lines. Complexion refers to the deeper internal structure of the nacre crystals, which sometimes presents as either a mosaic or crazing effect below the surface of the pearl.

  • A group of circle pearls of different sizes, all shining in their natural colour and lustre.

    Shape

    A pearl’s shape is purely a personal preference, but it does impact quite significantly on value. In essence, the more symmetrical the pearl, the more valuable. All farmers aim to produce perfectly round pearls – a challenge for Mother Nature, but shape symmetry and off-round pearls also promote diversity and uniqueness.

  • A row of pearls in order from smallest to largest, all showcasing their natural colour and lustre.

    Size

    The world’s largest pearls are grown in Australia. All other virtues equal, a bigger pearl commands a higher price, with measurements over 15mm considered to be very rare.
    The largest fine quality pearl ever produced was harvested at Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm in 2004. Round in shape and measuring 22.24mm, it is believed to be the most valuable cultured pearl in the world.

  • An array of different pearl shapes, in different colours, all shining with their natural colour and lustre.

    Colour

    Colour is the most subjective of all virtues, and reveals its true nature only when the pearl is applied on the skin of the wearer.
    Colour does influence price, and like all things to do with a gem, rarity and beauty will attract a higher value.
    Unlike most pearls on the global market, the colour of all PoA pearls are natural, having not undergone any chemical enhancement.

  • A beautiful, white round Australian South Sea pearl grown at Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm.

    Provenance

    Each of our pearls comes from our own pearl farms and are backed with a Certificate of Authenticity.

    This certificate contains full transparency around the virtues of the pearl.

  • Hundreds of south sea pearls, all shining with their innate colour and lustre.

    Purity

    In a global industry where chemical treatments and enhancements are common, we do not alter the colour of our pearls.

    Everything about our pearls are as nature intended. All Pearls of Australia pearls are of natural colour and lustre. Pearls are and should remain a direct reflection of the quality of the water and ecosystems they grow in, and the result of man and nature’s symbiotic relationship.

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A photo of a boat looking out at a long line of pearl shell cultivated at our Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm. A photo of a white, round Australian South Sea pearl after being harvested from a Cygnet Bay grown Pinctada maxima shell.

Invisible virtues

The Provenance of our pearls

Invisible virtues are the hidden qualities that define the calibre and value of each pearl. After three generations of pearl farming, we’ve learned that every pearl has its own story. This journey starts with the careful collection, nurturing, and health of the pearl oyster, influenced by various environmental factors over several years.

It's rare for a pearl to carry the details of its journey from oyster to market, but this information adds immense value to the gem. In a world-first for pearls, we've partnered with Provenance Proof, an independent blockchain technology, to introduce a ‘Statement of Provenance’. This enhances our Certificate of Authenticity, securely encapsulating the virtues of our premium pearls and jewellery while highlighting their positive impact on both people and the planet.

Provenance Proof provides a unique digital signature, permanently recording the journey for future owners to cherish.

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Our Seven Visible Virtues

  • A person holds an Australian South Sea pearl shell, with a gorgeous round, white pearl sitting in the centre of the pearl shell.

    SHELL SPECIES

    Refers to the shell that the pearl is grown in. This is important as the species of shell will determine many of the visible virtues of the pearl, and also connects to provenance depending on where the shell species can be grown.

  • SOURCE OF ORIGIN

    The source of origin directly connects to a pearl's quality, and it is becoming increasingly important to both the pearling industry and pearl customers worldwide.

  • PEARL PURITY

    All Pearls of Australia pearls are of natural colour and lustre. Pearls are and should remain a direct reflection of the quality of the water and ecosystems they grow in, and the result of man and nature’s symbiotic relationship.

  • A pearl farmer holds a basket of Australian Akoya pearl shell, that are grown amongst seagrass.

    CULTIVATION PERIOD


    The cultivation period is the time spanning between nuclei insertion (or seeding) and harvest. This connects directly to the quality and durability of nacre thickness.

  • An Australian Akoya pearl being carefully harvested at our Broken Bay Pearl Farm.

    HARVEST DATE

    Is the date the pearl was harvested. This date is a reference for the generations to come, and signifies the ‘birth’ of the pearl. Harvest date is generally recorded as a year or vintage.

  • A diver bobs in the Cygnet Bay waters, holding a harvested Australian South Sea mother of pearl shell.

    WILD / HATCHERY

    It takes 3 shells to make a pearl. A mussel will provide the carved nuclei to be inserted (the seed). The host will bear the pearl, which is triggered by a piece of soft tissue provided by the donor oyster. Donor and host oysters can be hand-collected from the wild, or hatchery born.

  • Several Australian Akoya pearl shells with an array of pearls of all colours grown at Broken Bay Pearl Farm.

    PEARL CATEGORY

    Pearls occur naturally; however, these days the vast majority of pearls on the market are cultured. A cultured pearl is a pearl that has come from a pearl farm and has had man's intervention to help create that pearl. They may be seeded or seedless.

  • A photo of a guests hands during a Pearl Masterclass, touching an array of beautiful round Australian South Sea pearls, all in a different colours and shapes.

    NACRE THICKNESS

    Refers to the distance (in mm) between the nucleus (seed) inserted into the oyster, and the outer part of the harvested pearl. The thicker the nacre, the longer the pearl will retain its virtues.

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