LA GRANDE DORMEUSE 1948

The South Sea cultured pearl is produced by saltwater oysters from a round bead. South Sea oysters produce thick, dense pearl layers that are considered to be of very high quality. The introduction of the object that gives rise to the pearl is called a graft.
Pearls can be round, semi-round, drop-shaped, pear-shaped, button-shaped, baroque or striated. Baroque pearls, with their harmonious shape, are increasingly sought-after.
 
South Sea pearls, or Australian pearls, have been produced on the north-west coast of Australia since the end of the 19th century in the town of Broome, still the centre of South Sea pearl production today, as well as on certain small islands and as far away as the Philippines.