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Record Pearl Jewellry Price
A three-strand necklace of 151 natural black pearls of 12-15mm in diameter for Swiss Francs 1.27m (US$902,000) during an Oct. 24, 1989 auction at Christie's auction house in Geneva.

Reproduction
Oysters are successively male and then female. They release spermatozoons and ovules in the water. Eggs are transformed into larvae, then into seed oysters, or spats. Spat collecting occurs in areas where many wild adult oysters live or in a pearl farm. A spat collector is made from bush branches or synthetic materials on which seed oysters will attach themselves. Within 2-3 years the oysters will be mature enough to be grafted.