The crystal clear and calm blue seas in Sabah is
filled with all kinds of wonderful marine life, and among the most interesting
is a type of mollusk known as oysters. The
oysters are animal with a relatively flat and hard shell. They are considered a great delicacy in many
parts of the world. However, there is a
type of oyster that is highly valued because it produces an extraordinary jewel
hidden beneath its shell in what we know as pearl.
The alluring beauty of the natural pearl have been
highly sought after and was hunted by humans for centuries to be used as
jewellery. Natural pearl oysters in the
waters of Sabah have been threatened to near extinction due to over-hunting and
environmental pollution. During the
1980s, extensive research has led to the discovery of ways to produce cultured
pearls via pearl oyster farming. A dedicated
pearl oyster farmer in Semporna has over 2 generations perfected the art of producing
cultured pearls.
The species found naturally in the waters of Sabah
and used for pearly culture is the Pinctada
maxima. P. maxima is a marine bivalve mollusk from the family
Pteriidae. These bivalves are the
largest pearl oysters in the world and can measure up to 12 inches in
diameter. They have a very strong inner
shell layer composed of nacre, also known as ‘mother of pearl’. They are important in cultured pearl industry
as they are used to produce south sea pearls.
P. maxima can also be found in
the waters of Australia, Fiji, Tahiti, Indonesia and Phillippines.
South sea pearls ae recognized as the world’s
largest and most valuable pearls compared to the other main group of pearl such
as the Akoya pearls, Tahiti black pearls and fresh water pearls. Malaysia’s south sea pearl sizes varies
between 10mm to 20mm, and classified into 5 main recognized forms : round,
drop, boraque, circle and button. The colours
of the pearls ranges from white, champagne gold and gold.
60sen • Circle South Sea Pearls
70sen • Baroque South Sea Pearls
80sen • Drop South Sea Pearls
Miniature Sheet RM5• Round South Sea Pearls
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