Historically Famous Myanmar South Sea Pearl
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Production of cultured South Sea pearl has been started in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, since 1954.

In southern part of Myanmar, there is Myeik Archipelago, formerly known as Mergui Archipelago in the Tanintharyi Division. It consists of 800 islands and the total area is 25,600 sq. kilometres. Almost all of the islands were virgin lands and they have been well known since ancient times, because of their inhabitants, Pinctada maxima oysters.

In 1954, the Japanese man Mr. K. Takashima established the "South Sea Pearl Company" and started culturing of pearl in Myanmar. It was a joint venture with local company. Round pearl cultivation
commenced immediately in October 1954. After culturing for three years at the seabed pearls were
harvested in 1957. Those were the first harvested South Sea pearl in the World after World War Two and 2466 pieces of pearls weighing 1637.89 momme were brought back to Japan. "They were
considered as the world's finest, were the most sought after and fetched the highest prices". Mr. Andy Müller mentioned in his book "Cultured Pearls, The First Hundred Years. Andy Müller, one of the prominent figures of pearl world had visited 20 times to Myanmar to buy Myanmar South Sea Pearls.
From 1958 onwards Japanese harvested once in every three months until 1963. In December 1966, Myanmar technicians harvested 4281 pieces of pearl weighing 3091.50 momme, and those were the last Japanese seeded pearls in Myanmar.

             Young Myanmar biologists began to insert oysters by themselves without Japanese help in 1964 and
became successful in 1966. By harvesting Japanese seeded pearls they knew where to put the nucleus but they found it difficult to make a pearl sac. With the help of physicians they tried grafting method and called it auto-graft method. They are the only seeding-technicians who were not trained by Japanese. The first commercial harvest was in 1969 and obtained 3485 pieces of South Sea pearls weighing 1919.70 momme. Since then Myanmar South Sea pearls were sold at the Myanmar Gems, Jade and Pearl Emporium and able to fulfil the demand of connoisseurs from all over the world.

Myanmar's production reached the peak in 1983 harvesting over 17 kans of finest pearls. Further attempt for promotion failed to materialise owing to inadequate supply and high mortality of oysters due to epidemic of bacterial infection. Recovery was tediously slow and took about one decade.

Currently we have three foreign and two local joint venture companies conducting pearl culturing as well as oyster hatchery. As a result, first upturn of production was witnessed in 2001 by producing 24 kans of pearls. Myanmar pearling industry is expected to harvest about 160 kans in 2005-2006 financial year.