The Five Virtues

“The Australian South Sea Pearl is unrivalled in rarity, quality, nacre thickness, natural lustre, size and value”

A pearl is a natural gem created by a living organism. When a foreign object is introduced into an oyster the animal coats the irritant with a substance called nacre, the same material with which it builds it’s shell. Layers of nacre build up to make a pearl.

There are five virtues, or characteristics, that determine the overall value of a pearl; They are: Lustre, Complexion, Shape, Size and Colour.

Our Pearls:

Galwey Pearls source exceptional quality South Sea and Tahitian black pearls and create bespoke couture jewellery designs to enhance each individual pearl’s virtues and showcase its natural lustre and beauty.

Australian South Sea pearls are produced by the Pinctada maxima oyster, found in the Northern Australian waters and are predominantly white, silver and pink.

The South Sea gold pearls are produced by the Pinctada Maxima oyster, found in the waters surrounding Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, The Philippines and Vietnam.  These beautiful and highly sought after pearls come in cream, yellow, white and gold colours.

Tahitian Pearls are found in the warm South Pacific waters of Tahiti, French Polynesia, Marshall and Cook Islands, Solomon Islands and Fiji. They are produced by the Pinctada Margaritifera oyster and showcase magnificent shades of black, aubergine, pistachio and peacock.