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Frequently asked questions:
1) What is the difference between a Tahitian pearl
and other pearls?
The Tahitian pearl comes from a large
oyster (200 to 400 mm, or 8 to 16 inches) called the
Pinctada margaritifera. It grows only in warm
waters endowed with unique biological characteristics.
These oysters are distinctly different from those that
produce "white" pearls. The largest concentration of
these oysters is found in the Gambier and Tuamotu archipelagos.
The resulting pearls are large generally 10.5 to 11
mm and feature colors ranging from light gray to deep
black, with overtones of peacock green, aubergine purple,
blue, rose, or gold. The white or Akoya pearl is made
by the Pinctada fucata, a small oyster (about
130 mm, or 5 inches) that is easy to farm and lives
primarily in Japan and in China. It produces a
small white pearl about 6 to 9 mm in diameter.
Currently, most Akoya pearls over 7 mm are cultured
in Japan. China has become the major producer
for Akoya pearls less than 7 mm in size. The South Seas
pearl comes from the Pinctada maxima, which produces
large light-colored pearls.
2) Why is it sometimes called a "black pearl" since
it isn't really black?
Another name for the black pearl is the
"Tahitian pearl", but it has often called the "black"
pearl in comparison to Japanese white pearls and because
the common name for the oyster that produces it is the
"black-lipped oyster". A more accurate description might
be "Multi-colored Pearls" or even "Rainbow Pearls" since
they are created in such a wide range of exciting colors,
varying from light gray to the deepest shade of black
including colors as diverse as mauve, blue, deep charcoal
gray, pink eggplant and the very much sought after "peacock
green" shade.
3) What gives them so many colors?
The color of the pearls vary with the
oyster's genetic background, the way the "seed" is put
into the oyster, the minerals in the water, and the
quality of the plankton absorbed by the oyster.
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