Tahitian
pearls – also referred to as black South
Sea pearls – are grown in the oyster called
Pinctada margaritifera. This is, obviously, a
pearl producing oyster, and is unique for its
black lip, and its notably large size, with specimens
commonly reaching a foot across and weighing as
much as ten pounds.
The only place in the world that this type of
oyster can be found is in Polynesia (also known
as Tahiti) and other Pacific Islands that lie
nearby.
Relatively new to farming, cultured black pearls
have been available in Tahiti for less than three
decades. Before that, they were considered to
be extremely rare, and when a black pearl was
discovered, it was worth a fortune. Its rarity
increased as the Pinctada margaritifera began
being hunted in the late nineteenth century…for
its shell. Fortunately, repopulation efforts have
successfully rescued the species from extinction.
Farming black pearls is a much easier process
with Tahitian pearls that it is with white pears,
not to mention the fact that it is notably less
expensive to do. This is a result of the abundance
of protected atoll lagoons in the Tahitian region.
Tahitian pearls are usually larger in size than
the classic white Akoya pearls, ranging in size from
9mm to 18mm.
Tahitian pearls are best known for their dark
colorings.
Though considered to be black pearls, Tahitian
pearls actually come in a range of different colors.
These include:
- Black
- Green
- Purple
- Grey
- Cream
- White
- Aubergrine
- Peacock green (the most desired)
Even Tahitian pearls that are referred to as
“black” are rarely true black, but
are instead similar shades to:
This makes the truly black pearls extremely rare,
and quite valuable.
If you should choose to buy a Tahitian pearl,
you’ll find that they usually cost less
than classic white pearls from the South Sea.
A Tahitian pearl of satisfactory quality at about
9mm in size will usually cost around $200,
while you could pay a few thousand dollars for
the larger, 12 to 13 millimeter pearls of high
quality.
Pure Pearls specializes in Tahitian Black pearls. Please inquire within about our Tahitian Pearls collection. We often carry pieces that are not shown on our website. We carry pieces ranging from $2,500-$5,500 and will customize a necklace to your preference of color,overtone, size, quality, and price range. All of our pricing is significantly more affordable than retail prices and we would love to have the opportunity to show you our collection. Call us at 1-800-762-0977 for personalized service!
