Exploring Tahitian Pearls

If you like black pearls, you’re probably a fan of Tahitian pearls, which are renowned for their gorgeous black sheen. Unfortunately, as they are relatively rare, they are priced accordingly. But did you know that Tahitian cultured pearls weren’t popular until recently—and they’re not always black? It’s hard to believe, but true! Let’s explore…

Tahitian Pearls
Compared to other gems, fine Tahitian cultured pearls are virtual newcomers on the jewelry scene. They arrived in the 1970s and only become popular years later—and then only thanks to bold marketing and public relations campaigns. Hard to believe, when you consider their popularity today!

But Tahitian pearls aren’t new. Westerners reportedly discovered the gems in waters in and around Tahiti in the early 1800s—and of course early Polynesians had known about the gems long before that. Unfortunately, eventual over-fishing of the pearl oysters, which were coveted for their ornamental shells more than for the gems inside, soon depleted pearl reefs. By the mid-1800s, wild black lipped oysters—the animals that grow Tahitian pearls—were rare.

Culturing Tahitian Pearls
Tahitian pearls were farmed before there was a market for the gems. Modern Tahitian pearl culturing began in the 1960s, when Jean-Marie Domard, a marine veterinarian, wanted to see if he could culture pearls in the black-lipped oyster. According to the Gemological Institute of America, Domard and other early Tahitian pearl farmers faced two significant challenges: culturing gem quality pearls in large enough quantities to sell, and finding interested buyers. To remedy the situation, early Tahitian pearl pioneers brought in Japanese pearl culturing experts to improve the harvest, and launched aggressive advertising and public relations campaigns to introduce the gems to the outside world. Billed as the first naturally colored black cultured pearls—dyed black Japanese pearls were already common—the gems’ popularity slowly grew, helped along by the Gemological Institute of America, which certified that Tahitian pearls’ dark hues did in fact occur naturally.

All the hard work of the early proponents of Tahitian pearls eventually paid off. Exports of Tahitian cultured pearls rose from a total value of $3663 in 1972 to $152 million in 1996, according to GIA. Today, pearls are French Polynesia’s leading export. Japanese dealers buy the most quantities; the United States comes in a distant second. In the late 90s, the introduction of Elizabeth Taylor’s Black Pearls perfume helped bring Tahitian pearls to the U.S. market, and sales of Tahitian pearl jewelry surged in America.

Tahitian Pearl Characteristics
Tahitian pearls are produced mostly in French Polynesia in the black-lipped oyster, P. margaritifera, a large saltwater mollusk that can grow up to 12 inches in diameter, weigh up to 11 lbs. and live up to 30 years. The oysters produce pearls that reach 8mm-14mm in size in a growth period that takes about two years. The pearls are grown in protected lagoons in oysters that farmers grow from spat, or baby oysters, because collecting adult wild black-lipped oysters is forbidden.

A peacock-sheened “black” color is arguably the most desired Tahitian cultured pearl hue, but the gems can also be black, gray or brown with hues of blue, green, and purple and overtones of rosé, green or blue. Today, Tahitian pearls are revered for their exotic colors and large sizes—the largest is 26.9 millimeters! As you may have noticed, their large price tag reflects their relative rarity.

Tahitian cultured pearls typically show fair to excellent luster, and achieve this by natural means, unlike akoyas and freshwater cultured pearls, which require treatment—usually bleaching—to enhance their surface glow. When Tahitians are harvested, all farmers have to do is wash them in fresh water, dry them and lightly buff them, usually by tumbling the gems with ground salt and bamboo chips.

P margaritifera can be nucleated, or implanted, several times over its lifetime, but in general, the first harvest produces the finest quality pearl.

Tahitian Pearl Jewelry
Unlike its smaller cousin, the akoya, the Tahitian cultured pearl is spherical less than half the time. For this reason, it may take years to find just the right pearls to match for a necklace. This is one of the reasons why a matched strand of Tahitian cultured pearls is so costly. Because they can often come in unique shapes, however, Tahitians are used by many jewelry designers in pieces that feature a single pearl. These pieces are uniquely beautiful and can be as breathtaking as a costly Tahitian strand.

Celebrities like Kiera Knightly and newsmakers like Nanci Pelosi favor Tahitian cultured pearls—and have the celebrity-sized budget to indulge their desires. If you love Tahitian cultured pearls too but don’t have a friend at Fred Leighton or an extra several thousand dollars lying around, look for jewelry that mixes pearl types (and includes Tahitian pearls) or whet your appetite with equally beautiful baroque or keshi Tahitian cultured pearls.