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Pearl cultivation in Phu Quoc has evolved over more than two decades, creating a unique travel product to serve the shopping and souvenir needs of tourists.
Cultivating pearls in Phu Quoc – a profession shaping precious gemstones
Kien Giang is the first province in the Mekong Delta to implement the pearl farming model, enriching the lives of fishermen. Phu Quoc, in particular, is highly suitable for developing the pearl cultivation industry. Cultured pearls in Phu Quoc establishments boast excellent quality, with lustrous gems highly favored by visitors.
In nature, pearls are formed when marine debris accidentally lodges inside oysters. The oyster responds by secreting nacre to envelop the debris, and over time, a pearl is formed. However, the probability of debris naturally entering the oyster is very low, resulting in natural pearls being quite rare.
To generate more pearls, researchers actively introduce debris into the oysters, stimulating the pearl formation process. The resulting pearls take on the shape of the nucleus that was implanted. After crafting the nucleus according to their desires, skilled cultivators carefully implant it into the oyster's cells. To achieve this, the process must be executed correctly to ensure the oyster does not reject the newly implanted nucleus.
After implanting the nucleus into oysters, these oysters are cultivated in cages, suspended with buoys on the sea. Nucleus implantation is a highly challenging stage, demanding technicians to be proficient, incredibly meticulous, and skillful. Therefore, these technicians must undergo extensive training and be skillfully assessed.
During the pearl cultivation process, the main task is to keep the pearl cages clean to prevent diseases and avoid any disadvantages for the pearls. Since the cages are often inhabited by organisms that can affect the pearl's growth, it is essential to regularly clean the cages when many organisms are observed on the shells. In unfavorable farming environments, the pearl cages must be relocated.
Periodically, pearls are brought up for examination during the pearl formation process. Low-quality pearls are harvested after 6 to 12 months, while high-quality pearls are harvested after 6 to 8 years or longer. The color of pearls often depends on the mother oyster; pearls usually come in ivory, yellow, black, and pink colors. The most exquisite are black and sea-green pearls.
Once a pearl is fully developed for harvesting, the next step is to separate the pearl from the oyster's mantle. The pearl harvesting process is intricate and precise. First, the mantle is gently opened, just enough to access the pearl. The pearl is then carefully extracted using specialized tools to avoid harming the mantle. Since oysters can be reused for continuous pearl production.
Pearl cultivation establishments in Phu Quoc harvest pearls from August to October each year. During this period, pearls are harvested, cleaned, and carefully selected again. Successfully cultivated pearls will have the exact shape of the implanted nucleus.
Pearls are a unique product highly favored by tourists in Phu Quoc, known as the 'treasure of the ocean.' In addition to exports in raw form, many pearl cultivation facilities also craft jewelry from pearls. Pearl jewelry holds significant value, ranging from a few million dong to tens of millions of dong for each product, yet it continues to attract a wide range of customers who appreciate beauty.
According to Mytour
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Reference: Travel guide on Mytour
MytourFebruary 16, 2023
