According to a story posted this morning on Market Wire, Tahitian
cultured pearls are 'the holiday gift to give, as evidenced by their
inclusion on the cover of Time Magazine's Style & Design -- The Luxury
Index (Winter 2006 Supplement) and a four-page feature inside.'
The article says: "The colors of pearls that black-lipped oysters
produce, from pale grey to peacock, depend on the quantity of black
pigment the oysters secrete. The Tahitian government officials
visually inspect and x-ray the pearls to ensure that they meet the
strict requirements of size, shape, density and luminosity of color.
Pearls that don't meet these requirements are destroyed.
"Tahitian pearls are rarer than traditional cultured pearls because
they are cultivated from the black-lipped oyster found only in French
Polynesian waters."
Rare: Yes. Gorgeous? Absolutely. Affordable? Not so much. If you have
thousands on hand, by all means grab some Tahitian pearls. If,
however, you're like the rest of us: looking for a great gift of pearl
jewelry that's affordable, you might want to check out color-treated
freshwater cultured baroque black pearls or mother of pearl beads;
both mimic Tahitians for a fraction of the price. Another option is to
consider a single Tahitian pearl pendant.
Black mother-of-pearl necklace. http://www.moonriverpearls.com
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