Juergen Freund / Cultured Golden South Sea pearls of the Pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima) Jewelmer pearls, Philippines

Juergen Freund / Aerial view of coral cays and white sand bars surrounding Bugsuk Island, Farm 1 of Jewelmer pearl farm. This private island has been highly protected since the 1970's and is in pristine environmental...

Juergen Freund / Jewelmer Pearlfarm, Golden south sea pearl oysters (Pinctada maxima) are prepared with plastic wedges to have nuclei inserted for the creation of cultured pearls, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Juergen Freund / Newly harvested cultured Golden South Sea pearls of Oyster (Pinctada maxima) displayed, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Juergen Freund / Goldlip pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima) opened, with cultured Golden South Sea pearl on beach, Jewelmer Pearlfarm, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Juergen Freund / Newly harvested cultured Golden South Sea pearls of Oyster (Pinctada maxima) displayed in oyster shell on beach, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Juergen Freund / Five newly harvested cultured Golden South Sea pearls of Oyster (Pinctada maxima) displayed, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Juergen Freund / Newly harvested cultured Golden South Sea pearl of Oyster (Pinctada maxima), Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Juergen Freund / Newly harvested cultured Golden South Sea pearls of Oyster (Pinctada maxima) displayed in hand, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Juergen Freund / Newly harvested cultured Golden South Sea pearls of Oyster (Pinctada maxima) displayed in oyster shell, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Juergen Freund / Women sorting cultured Golden South Sea Jewelmer pearls in Manila, Philippines, April 2010

Juergen Freund / Almost perfect cultured pearl extracted from Golden South Sea Pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima) oyster will then be reused, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Juergen Freund / Sorting of cultured Golden South Sea pearls at Jewelmer pearls, Manila, Philippines, April 2010

Juergen Freund / Jewelmer Pearlfarm, expert technician extracts nearly perfect culutred pearl from golden South Sea Pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima) oyster will then be reused, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Juergen Freund / Jewelmer Pearlfarm, Golden South Sea Pearl oysters (Pinctada maxima) laid out on trays waiting to have nucleus inserted to initiate cultured pearl growth, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Juergen Freund / Sorting cultured Golden South Sea pearls of the pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima) Jewelmer pearls, Philippines, May 2010

Juergen Freund / Algae grown in laboratory as food for young Oysters at the Jewelmer Pearlfarm, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Juergen Freund / Baby Pearl oysters (Pinctada maxima) at Jewelmer Pearlfarm, two months spats, 2 mm in size, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Juergen Freund / Newly harvested cultured Golden South Sea pearls of Oyster (Pinctada maxima) displayed by Jewelmer Pearlfarm owner, Jacques Brannelec, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Juergen Freund / Jewelmer Pearlfarm, floats holding oyster cages in open water, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Juergen Freund / Aerial view of Jewelmer Pearlfarm and live reef fish cage, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Juergen Freund / Aerial view of lines of Oyster cages at Pearl farm, Jewelmer Pearlfarm, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Juergen Freund / Aerial view of lines of Oyster cages at Pearl farm, Jewelmer Pearlfarm, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Juergen Freund / Lifting the Golden South Sea oyster cages to clean the oysters at Jewelmer Pearlfarm, Philippines, May 2009.

Juergen Freund / Boxes of cultured Golden South sea pearls from the Jewelmer pearl company, Manila, Philippines, April 2010

Juergen Freund / Jewelmer Pearlfarm, newly cleaned Golden South Sea Pearl oysters (Pinctada maxima) in hanging cages, waiting to be relocated to the open sea, Palawan, Philippines, May 2009

Juergen Freund / Jacques Branellec, owner of Jewelmer, examines cultured golden South Sea pearls with a pearl worker, Manila, Philippines, April 2010