Although the history of pearling in Mexico’s Gulf of California dates back many centuries, it is only in the past 10 years that commercial pearl farming has become firmly established there. The article by Lore Kiefert and co-authors in this issue examines pearling operations on the eastern coast of the Gulf of California, where cultured pearls in a wide range of shapes and colors are harvested from the indigenous oyster Pteria sterna. Also presented in this article are the properties and identifying characteristics of these cultured pearls. The gold pendant, ring, and earrings shown here contain tourmalines (the largest, 8.12 ct) and Mexican cultured pearls ranging from 8.5 to 10.5 mm. The loose cultured pearls range from 9.5 to 10 mm. The jewelry and loose pearls are courtesy of Columbia Gem House, Vancouver, Washington.  Photo © GIA and Harold & Erica Van Pelt.