The Culturing of the Tahitian Pearl

The Tahitian cultured pearl has been farmed in the lagoons of atolls in French Polynesia since the 1970s. The culturing of Tahitian pearls requires a delicate balance of effort from both man and nature: pearl technicians implant a round bead or nucleus – made from the shell of another mussel - into an oyster, and the oyster reacts by secreting exquisitely hued layer upon layer of nacre that adhere to the nucleus, forming a pearl. In this way man induces the natural process of the pearl, and then allows nature to take its course. (In fact, completely “natural” pearls have virtually disappeared: Bahrain is one of the last “natural” pearl producing nation on Earth). Because of this intricate process, every single Tahitian Pearl is unique – from the distinction of its luster to the quality of its complexion and the variety of its colors.

At Tahitian pearl farms, teams of experts work daily to sort and select the best of those gems from the freshly harvested crops of pearls.