A Labor of Love: Cultivating Cortez Pearls®

Eric Braunwart · June 25, 2024

Cortez Pearls® are cultured pearls, meticulously raised and harvested by dedicated farmers each year – progressing from spat collection to cleaning, seeding, and eventually, harvesting. Though, before you can grow pearls, you must grow the oysters themselves. This begins with a process called 'spat collection'.

Typically occurring in Spring or Fall, as the Bacochibampo Bay water temperatures change, adult pearl oysters spawn, releasing billions of microscopic larvae. These larvae sustain themselves by feeding on algae and bacteria until they mature to the next growth phase. At this stage, spat collectors are strategically placed in the bay for up to two months to gather these baby oysters, otherwise known as ‘spat’.

Once collected, the spat are nurtured with care until they grow large enough to be visible to the naked eye - a process that can take up to three months. At this stage, they are meticulously counted and moved into specialized rearing cages, or 'pearl nets', marking the start of the aquaculture operation.

This journey first beans with spat collectors (collecting microscopic ovster larvae), to pearl nets (housing baby oysters while keeping predators out), to lantern nets (housing juvenile oysters, offering better water flow for proper feeding as they grow), and finally to pocket nets (house adult oysters individually so they have plenty of room to receive all the food and nutrients they need individually as the pearls form).

Under the protective care of their farmers, these young oysters thrive with an impressive 90-95% success rate of reaching adulthood - far surpassing the challenges they would face in the wild, where only one in a million will survive. As they grow within the safety of their pearl nets, they undergo rapid development. Within six to eight months, they reach juvenile status, measuring about 2 inches. By 18 months, they mature into young adults, reaching sizes of 4-5 inches. It is during this critical stage of their four-year life cycle that the magic of ‘pearl-seeding’ begins.

Over the next 18-24 months, these oysters will develop the lustrous Cortez Pearls® renowned for their exquisite beauty and quality. This period requires steadfast dedication and a deep respect for the health of the bay, its diverse organisms, and the well-being of these precious pearl oysters. Yet, the rewards are indisputable - ensuring the health of the bay, the prosperity of this unique oyster species, and yielding breathtaking results that make every effort worthwhile.