Month of Pearl: Celebrating the Story Behind New Zealand’s Blue Pearls
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Time to read 5 min
June is known around the world as the birthstone month of the pearl. For us at Arapawa Blue Pearls, it felt like the perfect opportunity to celebrate not only the beauty of pearls, but also the extraordinary story behind the rare blue pearls we cultivate here in New Zealand.
Throughout June, we launched our very first Month of Pearl series across our social media channels, sharing 17 episodes that took our community behind the scenes of our family-run farm on Arapaoa Island. From the fascinating history of pearls to the intricate craftsmanship involved in creating our unique blue pearls, every episode was designed to educate, inspire, and showcase what makes Arapawa Blue Pearls so special.
If you missed any part of the series, here is a complete recap, and a few reasons why you may want to explore the episodes for yourself.
Why We Created the Month of Pearl Series
Pearls have captivated people for thousands of years. They have adorned royalty, symbolised wealth and status, and been treasured as heirlooms passed down through generations.
Yet despite their popularity, many people know surprisingly little about how pearls are formed or why certain pearls are considered so rare.
That is why we dedicated this year’s Month of Pearl to sharing the journey behind our New Zealand blue pearls. Across four themed weeks, we explored pearl history, the pearling process, pearl rarity, and sustainable farming practices.
The result was our most in-depth educational series to date.
Week One: The History of Pearls and the Story of Pāua
Pāua: New Zealand's Native Abalone
pearls around the world and how different civilisations, from Ancient China and Egypt to European royal courts, have treasured these natural gems for centuries.
We then introduced one of New Zealand’s most iconic marine species: the pāua.
Known internationally as abalone, pāua is famous for its spectacular natural colours. The vibrant blues, greens, purples and pinks found within every shell are entirely natural and have made pāua an important part of Māori art and culture for generations.
One of the highlights of the week was sharing the story behind Arapawa Blue Pearls itself. Many people were surprised to learn that our farm is New Zealand’s only land-based pāua pearl farm and that every one of our blue pearls takes years of care and patience to create.
Watch Episodes 1–4 on our Instagram or Facebook pages to discover the origins of our blue pearls and the remarkable story behind the farm.
Week Two: Behind the Scenes of the Pearling Process
The second week of our Month of Pearl series took viewers deeper into the creation of our pearls.
This is often where people become truly fascinated.
Unlike traditional pearls grown inside oysters, our blue pearls are mabe pearls cultivated within pāua shells. The process begins with a carefully placed nucleus and continues over several years as the pāua gradually covers it with layer upon layer of nacre.
Through Episodes 5 to 8, we revealed:
-The delicate nucleus insertion process
-The pearl harvest
-The specialised diamond saw process used to remove pearls from the shell
-The final craftsmanship steps that prepare each pearl for jewellery
The diamond saw process: carefully cutting a pāua pearl from the shell
Many viewers were particularly fascinated by the fact that creating our blue pearls takes around eight years from start to finish.
Four to five years are spent growing the pāua to the right size, followed by another four to five years allowing the pearl to develop its exceptional lustre and colour.
For anyone interested in craftsmanship, patience, and authentic luxury, these episodes offer a rare glimpse behind the scenes of modern pearl farming.
If you want to see how a single pearl is transformed into future pearl jewellery, Episodes 5–8 are essential viewing.
Week Three: What Makes Blue Pearls So Rare?
Our third week focused on one of the questions we hear most often: "What makes your pearls different?"
The answer lies in both rarity and nature.
During this section of the Month of Pearl, we explored pearl grading, colour formation, pearl shapes, cultured mabe pearls, and how to identify genuine naturally coloured pearls.
One of our most popular episodes explained why New Zealand pāua produce such spectacular colours.
Unlike dyed pearls, the colours found in our blue pearls are entirely natural. Their iridescence comes from the microscopic structure of the nacre itself, which reflects light differently depending on the viewing angle.
This creates the shifting blues, greens, purples and golden tones that make every pearl unique.
We also introduced our grading system, showing how pearls are categorised according to surface quality, lustre and colour.
Perhaps the most important message from this week was that perfection is not what makes a pearl valuable.
Character, rarity and individuality are.
No two blue pearls are ever identical, and that uniqueness is part of what makes each piece of pearl jewellery so meaningful.
Explore Episodes 9–14 if you would like to discover why naturally coloured blue pearls are among the rarest pearls in the world.
A Special Collaboration: Pearl Jewellery That Brings Two Oceans Together
One of the most exciting moments of this year’s Month of Pearl was the reveal of our collaboration with Pearls of Australia.
The partnership brought together two very different pearl traditions.
On one side are Australian Akoya pearls and Australian South Sea Mabe pearls, celebrated for their exceptional lustre and elegance. On the other are our New Zealand blue pearls, admired for their vibrant natural colours and iridescence. While each pearl reflects the unique waters in which it is cultivated, both share a common connection to the ocean and generations of pearling expertise.
Together, they inspired the creation of a never-before-seen collection: https://arapawabluepearls.co.nz/collections/pearl-of-australia?srsltid=AfmBOopnKmKZo0BYk0VDmfJ85w2avsvOr9WcPBd7hDJsAoMcw7GHWbNv
Watch our collaboration reels to discover the story behind this unique collection of pearl jewellery.
Week Four: Sustainable and Ethical Pearling
We concluded the Month of Pearl by focusing on a subject that is incredibly important to us: sustainability.
Pearl farming relies on healthy oceans and healthy animals. Without them, there would be no blue pearls.
During the final episodes, we explored how we care for our pāua, from the day they hatch on our farm. We revealed how every aspect of their environment is carefully designed to replicate the conditions they would experience in the wild, helping them grow healthily, thrive naturally, and remain stress-free throughout their lives.
We also shared the story behind our reseeding project.
This commitment reflects our belief that creating exceptional pearl jewellery should go hand in hand with supporting marine ecosystems and protecting New Zealand’s natural heritage.
Episodes 15–17 offer an inside look at the environmental practices that help make our blue pearls possible.
Mike at the Arapawa Blue Pearls Pāua Farm
Thank You for Joining Our Month of Pearl
Thank you for following our Month of Pearl series and discovering the story behind our blue pearls.
Over the past month, we’ve shared the history, craftsmanship, rarity and sustainability that make every Arapawa pearl unique. We hope these episodes have given you a deeper appreciation for our blue pearls and the pearl jewellery they become.
Missed an episode? You can still explore the full series on our social media channels.
