Before boarding our Paradise Junk we stopped at this pearl farm ~ factory to admire these legendary beauties and learn about how they come to be.
These are all cultured pearls,
which means that each of the mollusks were seeded with shell beads, like the ones below, to ensure the shape and size of the final pearl.
After they are seeded the oysters are put back into the bay where they covered the beads with a natural pearl substance over a period of time.
After that the oysters are harvested,
and the lustrous orbs are removed.
Have you ever wondered how the perfect little holes in pearls are made?
Each pearl is carefully positioned between the clamps on a machine like this and held steady so the hole can be bored with a fine drill bit.
The pearls are hand sorted by size, color and quality.
Elegant by~products of the pearl making process are Mother~of~Pearl buttons.
Circles are cut from these luminous shells,
and then polished and drilled to perfection.
Other shells are even more finely polished to create these naturally stylish dishes.
After touring the factory and learning about the process there was a giant showroom filled with perfect pieces of jewelry to buy.
I’m so glad we waited so we could shop from our sweet friends who came to the side of the boat with their offerings.
It was a little more work, but it was a lot more fun to try to negotiate with the locals, and we loved the more irregular beauty of the necklaces and bracelets they passed up to us in their bamboo handled nets.
Looking back now, I wish I had bought just a few more!
Pearls are so classic, so lustrous! Emily thank you for sharing more about the process!
Happy Thanksgiving!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Love this post. I still regret not having bought any pearls while in Vietnam. I have very fond memories of sailing with my family along the Halong Bay. We had a beautiful Junk to ourselves, dove and swam in the bay…
Oh, Francine, your trips sounds amazing. I'd love to go back with a larger group of friends to charter a boat together, if I do, I'll bring back more pearls for both of us!!
Karena, thanks for your appreciation, it was so wonderful to gain a complete understanding of these uniquely beautiful treasures.
The world is your oyster, Emily. I'm wearing my favorite pearl earrings right now, simple studs given to me by one of my best girlfriends years ago when I was maid of honor in her wedding. I love that you gave us this education in where they come from and how they are harvested. I'm sure your strands are just gorgeous and what a wonderful way to remember your adventures! XOXO