Australian South Sea White Pearls are known as the "Hermès of the pearl world" and are highly popular for their unique, high-quality overtone.
Australian South Sea White Pearls, also known as Australian White Pearls, are, as the name suggests, precious white pearls primarily produced in Australia. Their mother-of-pearl is the largest pearl-producing oyster in the world – the Pinctada maxima oyster. The Pinctada maxima oyster that produces "Australian White Pearls" is the largest pearl oyster in the world and has the longest growth cycle among all pearl oysters. As each mother oyster can only produce one pearl, they are rare and precious.
✅ 【Origin】
Northwestern waters of Australia / Deep sea areas of Indonesia and the Philippines. They require very specific environmental conditions in their growth waters and are highly susceptible to climate change.
✅ Mother-of-pearl type: The giant Pinctada maxima oyster (body length around 25-28cm / weight 3-4kg or more)
✅ Birth Code: One pearl per oyster × Five years of gestation × 0.001% perfection rate
✅ Size: Generally 8mm or more in diameter, with larger ones reaching 18mm, and top-grade ones up to 20mm.
✅ Nacre Thickness: Typically between 0.8-3mm (pearls with ≥1mm nacre are considered higher quality)
▸ Entry-level: 8-10mm
▸ Collector's grade: 15mm+
▸ Museum grade: 18mm+
Grading of Australian White Pearls:
Special Selection > Venus > Phoenix > Regular Australian White Pearl
(1) Special Selection:
This is an authoritative certificate for "the highest grade pearls" issued by the Japan Pearl Export & Processing Cooperative Association. It is divided into S-grade and G-grade. S represents the highest quality of pearls, and most Special Selection pearls on the market are G-grade.
To be classified as Special Selection, pearls must have the best indicators in color, luster, cleanliness, roundness, etc., being almost perfect. They are often used by royalty and are extremely rare in production.
(2) Venus:
This is the highest rating given to Australian White Pearls by "Shinju Kagaku Kenkyusho" (Pearl Science Laboratory), a Level 1 major certificate (SS certificate), indicating the strongest luster, perfectly round shape, and minor imperfections.
(3) Phoenix:
This is the Level 2 certificate (SK certificate) given to Australian White Pearls by Shinju Kagaku Kenkyusho. Both Phoenix and Venus pearls have the strongest luster. Phoenix pearls generally have minor flaws, and their roundness can be perfectly round, near-round, or symmetrical. Currently, symmetrical shapes are more common in the market.
(4) Stardust:
This is the rating given by Shinju Kagaku Kenkyusho for the strongest baroque luster in Australian White Pearls.
Due to their better roundness and fewer imperfections, Venus pearls are priced higher than Phoenix pearls. In fact, the luster of Venus is not necessarily brighter than Phoenix; a small number of Phoenix pearls can have better skin luster than Venus pearls~
So, are you torn between choosing Venus or Phoenix?
My personal advice is to choose Venus directly if your budget allows. However, if you can tolerate some imperfections in flaws and roundness, Phoenix is a good choice to try a new look.
