The Tahitian pearl grows in Pinctada margaritifera, the black-lipped oyster, in the lagoons of French Polynesia. Its colour is not dyed: anthracite, grey, green, aubergine and the coveted peacock with its green-violet shimmer arise in the nacre itself. Sizes range from 8 to 14 mm, with 9 to 11 mm making up the bulk of the harvest and pearls of 14 mm and above being rare.
They are cultured with a bead, one pearl per oyster and cycle, and the growing period is around 18 to 24 months. Round pearls are scarce: fewer than 10 percent of a harvest, while baroque shapes account for around 40 percent. Alongside the trade system from AAA to A, French Polynesia has an official classification from A to D based on surface quality and lustre.
Anyone looking for a dark pearl will find in the Tahitian the only cultured pearl with natural black. To see how it compares with Akoya and South Sea: the great pearl comparison.
