SAMUI is not just beaches, elephant trekking, diving and dining. Probably a lot still don?€?t know that an island off Samui makes a great place to nurture and culture pearls at the Naga Pearl Farm.

Twenty minutes away by boat from Ban Thong Khrut, Naga Pearl Farm on Koh Matsum was founded by Dr. Suchit Hiranprueek, who started pearl cultivation in Thailand as early as the 1960s. The forerunners of Naga Pearl Farm were situated in bays off Phuket.

The environment in which pearls are cultured is crucial. The water must be very clean and with right levels of salinity and temperature and an abundance of microscopic planktons, which the oysters feed on.

The oysters are fenced by wooden frames to prevent them from drifting to the sea. Once the pearls have grown, the oysters are taken either to Phuket or Bangkok for the so-called pearl operation, a careful process to take the pearl out of the oysters.

The oysters are then brought back to the sea until the next harvest.

There are several kinds of pearls cultured in Naga Pearl Farm. Biva is cultured in fresh water and is the most inexpensive. The pearls are small and the color is not very perfect. Seawater-cultured akoya are small, but the color is beautiful. The South Sea pearls are from mother-of-pearl oysters. These are large and beautiful but quite expensive.

The shop is a good place to scout for souvenirs and gifts for loved ones. Prices start from Bt1,000 for the freshwater-cultured pearls to about Bt10,000 for the South Sea variety. The shop has ingeniously made necklaces, earrings, bracelets and other accessories out of these pearl bounties. Pearls have been associated with nature; the white and pink pearls are the most sought after. The shop also sells decorative shell crafts, which make for perfect gifts.

The shop is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day. Call 07-733-4038 for details or check out organized tours going to the Naga Pearl Farm.