Pearl producing countries
Pearl producing countries
Japan cultures in pinctada (fucata) martensii, pinctada shimizuensis (S.K. and R. Wada, 1953), pinctada chemnitzii (Philippi, 1849), pinctada margaritifera (L., 1758), pteria penguin (Röding, 1798), and pinctada maxima the latter three only in the Ryukus.
China cultures in pinctada chemitzii (Philippi, 1849), pinctada atropurpurea, pinctada nigra, pinctada shimizuensis (S.K. and R. Wada, 1953), pinctada margaritifera (L., 1758), pinctada maxima (gold and silver), pteria penguin, plus several others that are still in the research stage.
India, same as China.
South Korea, pinctada chemnitzii (Philippi, 1849), haliotis discus, pteria penguin, pinctada nigra.
Vietnam, same as South Korea.
Mexico, pteria sterna, pinctada mazatlanica.
French Polynesia, pinctada margaritifera (L., 1759), pteria sterna.
New Zealand, haiolits iris, pinctada radiata.
Australia, pinctada maxima, pinctada (fucata) martensii.
U.S.A., pinctada margaritifera and pinctada radiata (so far mostly spat raising in Hawaii), haliotis rufens (mabé production in California).
That's ten. Current production figures have to be patched together since some countries do not compile statistics on pearl production. In addition there are the Philippines with the golden lipped and some silver lipped pinctada maxima and some pinctada (fucata) martensii, Myanmar with pinctada maxima and pteria penguin (also in tissue nucleated), Thailand with pinctada radiata and pinctada maxima. I know that there is at least one farm in Russia that cultures tissue nucleated round pearls in haliotis kamtchatkana. And that are only the most obvious ones.
Zeide
