Black pearls of Tahitian

Black pearls of Tahitian

The Pinctada Margaritifera, also known as the “black-lip pearl oyster”, produces rare and beautiful pearls. Found in the waters of the South Pacific, they are abundant in the islands and atolls of French Polynesia.

 The harvest is always an exciting and stressful time for the pearl farmer. The factors that influence the development of a pearl are so numerous that no one can predict the results of the many years of patience and hard work in advance. In general, a good harvest means a 40-50% rate of marketable pearls but the classification criteria for pearls are so numerous (shape, diameter, luster, color, surface quality) that it will take several days of sorting before the farmer can completely appraise the harvest and thus the quality of his work. In any case, less than 1% of harvested pearls are considered premium quality.

Among the Maoris of Polynesia, they say that Oro, the god of peace and fertility, was the first to reveal the black pearl’s beauty to mankind. Travelling on a rainbow, Oro came to earth to declare his love to the princess of Bora-Bora. He then offered her a Tahitian black pearl.