South Sea Pearlsfor the world
ASBUMI unites Indonesia’s pearl farmers under one standard of quality, ocean sustainability, and global market access, delivering the finest South Sea Pearls to buyers and partners worldwide.
Of the world’s South Sea Pearl supply
Bengen et al., Mutiara Laut Selatan Penghela Ekonomi Biru Kepulauan Nusantara
Million USD pearl exports, 2023
Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), cited in Akhmad Fauzi
Provinces with pearl farms
ASBUMI distribution map, 2023
Active member companies
Table 1, ASBUMI records, in Bengen et al.
Sources: KKP, OEC, and ASBUMI records, 2023.
Pearl oysters and edible shellfish two different businesses
Both are bivalves, both filter their food from seawater. What separates them is not only the animal but what is harvested, how long the wait is, and how the result is judged.
Pearl oyster
Pinctada maxima
- Harvested for: the pearl, the nacre the oyster lays down around an implanted nucleus. The meat is not the point.
- The wait: two to four years after nucleation, and there is no way to shorten it.
- The work: every oyster is handled individually, from the implant to routine cleaning.
- Judged on: lustre, shape, size, colour, surface cleanliness and nacre thickness. One pearl can be worth many times the one beside it.
Edible shellfish
Green mussel, blood cockle, table oyster
- Harvested for: the meat, as food.
- The wait: months, and a rope is cleared in one harvest.
- The work: grown and lifted in bulk rather than one at a time.
- Judged on: weight, size and freshness. One batch is largely uniform.
What they share matters most to the sea: both live on what the water carries, so both demand clean water. The difference is that a failure in an edible crop shows within a season, while a failure in pearls only becomes visible years later.
The official body for Indonesia’s pearl industry
ASBUMI (the Indonesian Pearl Cultivation Association) is the home for pearl-farming businesses across Indonesia, focused on developing and preserving the South Sea Pearl.
The association was founded to advance the national pearl market. Working alongside government, industry players, and pearl advocates at home and abroad, it carries a vision to protect the sea and strengthen Indonesia’s pearl trade.
- Promoting responsible pearl cultivation
- Driving grading and quality standards
- Connecting pearls with the blue economy
Pearls do not grow from one party alone
Developing the national pearl sector rests on four stakeholders. What follows is each one's role, not a promise ASBUMI makes on their behalf.
Government
Being pursuedFormal recognition of the association, and support for promoting Indonesian pearls at home and abroad.
Farmers & companies
Under wayRunning pearl oyster cultivation professionally, from hatchery through harvest and grading.
The public
Education focusKnowing the South Sea pearl and telling it apart from freshwater pearls, so a preference for Indonesian pearls can grow.
Universities & research institutes
Talks under way with IPB and BRINResearch on hatchery technique, broodstock improvement and disease management, and drawing younger people into marine cultivation.
Fourteen provinces, one strand
South Sea Pearl farms run from Sumatra to Papua, following the water that is still clean. The order is west to east, the way a strand is threaded along the equator.
West Nusa Tenggara
The most productive South Sea Pearl waters in the country. Lombok is known as the Pearl Island.
Cultivation sites recorded by ASBUMI, 2023 · ordered west to east
Six parameters, one reading ISSP
Indonesia South Sea Pearl (ISSP) is the quality designation for pearls grown in Indonesian waters. Every pearl is judged against the same six parameters, so buyers and the trade can read its grade rather than guess it.
Luster
The deep return of light that ordered nacre produces
Size
Typically 10–15 mm, the size South Sea Pearls are known for
Shape
From perfect round to baroque, valued precisely for being singular
Colour
White, silver, to the natural gold of gold-lipped oysters
Surface
How clean the surface reads of spots, marks, and pits
Nacre thickness
The layer that sets both durability and the depth of the luster
Indonesia Quality Pearl Label
Pearls meeting the ISSP criteria carry the IQPL, the official certification marking a pearl as a genuine Indonesian South Sea Pearl of the highest grade. The label is not a marketing device but an assurance that the value a buyer pays for is actually in the pearl.
Beauty from Indonesia’s seas
From crystal waters to pearl masterpieces.
Let’s build the pearl trade together
For buyers, exporters, jewellers, and institutional partners. Connect with Indonesia’s trusted network of pearl farmers.
Buyers & Importers
Source South Sea Pearls directly from trusted cultivation origins.
Jewellery Brands
A premium pearl supply partner with assured quality standards.
Pearl Farmers
Become a member, strengthen your bargaining power and market access.
Start a conversation
Our team is ready to support your trade and partnership needs.