Tahitian Pearls Center

BLACK TAHITIAN PEARLS…..These glorious pearls are mainly grown in the clear, warm waters of French Polynesia, in the large black-lip oysters named Pinctada Margaritifera. After nucleation, oysters will hang on lines in dreamy and clear lagoons, building the beautiful dark nacre that distinguishes these pearls as the Queen of Pearls. Tahitian pearls are rarer than other type of pearls, since only a small number of oysters will survive to produce a fine pearl. They come in a very attractive variety of different colors from black to green to bronze to dark or pale gray.

Each Tahitian pearl is very unique and does not resemble any other. To create the beautiful strand that will adorn us and in our jewelry boxes as treasures, will take hundreds of pearls to find the similar ones. Even to match a pair of earrings is a difficult task! Tahitian Pearls are pure richness in incognito, big and bold, cool against the skin, flattering when worn and so pleasing to the eye. They are absolutely stunning and they make gorgeous jewelry

Pinctada Margaritifera - black lipped Oyster which produces natural color Black Tahitian Pearls

Black Tahitian pearls have unique characteristics, which determine their rarity and value:

COLOR: Black pearls are not necessarily black. There is a rainbow of color varying from black, to dark or light gray, dark or light green, pinkish, blue and bronze-brown. Some of them are actually almost white! Some pearls are even bi-color. A few years ago the trend was toward black pearls with green overtones, but nowadays lighter color are very popular, due to the growing interest and appreciation of the wonderful color spectrum of the Tahitian variety. You should always select pearls in colors that you like and will look flattering on you.

LUSTER: Black pearls reflect light in a different way than white pearls do. There is a total different perception of colors and shine, even if of same shape. One way to identify luster is to look at several black Tahitian pearls and compare: some will look dull, while others will look lively, almost metallic. In my opinion, I will always choose a lustrous, lively pearl with a few imperfections over one very smooth but dull!

SHAPE: Round and semi-round are the most expensive and rare pearls, followed by drop and button shapes. These shapes make really stunning and important jewelry. Circled and baroque pearls are a real bargain and offered at a much lower price, but they still make wonderful and unique jewelry with personality and flair as well. The shape depends on how long a pearl is left in the oyster underwater because of water friction that can work it into different shapes.

SIZE: The larger, the more expensive black Tahitian pearls are. Black pearls usually range from 9mm to 11-12mm. Pearls over 14-15mm are considered very large and very rare. 1-mm increase in size, and the price will increase as well.

PEARL SURFACE: Flawless pearls, and even more so black Tahitians are rare and very costly. Small imperfections as nicks or scratches (we call them beauty marks!) can help to identify a real pearl from an imitation. They are caused by sand particles that find their way inside the oyster when the pearl is forming. Only few pearls are really close to perfection. It is normal for pearl strands to have some flaws.

NACRE THICKNESS: The average, well grown black Tahitian pearl has a nice nacre thickness of about 1mm and up. This is because black Tahitian pearls (along with white South Sea pearls) are kept in the oyster for longer periods of time than any other type of pearls.

PEARL GRADING: We proudly assure you that all our pearls are of Excellent quality, with high luster, clean surface and thick nacre. Many websites apply pearl grading to their products with terminology such as A, B, C - generally used for South Sea & Tahitian pearls - or A, AA, AAA generally used for Japanese Akoyas Cultured pearls sometimes in an inaccurate manner. Often standard pearl pictures are used not depicting the real product for sale.

The Gemological Institute of America uses a different, more accurate grading criteria such as Excellent, Good, Fair and Poor, while evaluating at the same time factors such as shape, size, luster and nacre thickness. We offer a Free Certificate of Appraisal done by our GIA Graduate for all our strands. A charge of $25 will be applied for appraisal of smaller items such as earrings and pendants upon request. When you purchase from us, you will receive the items you see in the pictures as most of our products are beautifully one of a kind!

CLEANING TIPS: Never clean pearls in an ultrasonic cleaner. Never use detergents containing ammonia such as "Dawn"! Store your pearls in a soft pouch, separate from your other jewelry, as diamonds and metals might scratch them. Just wear them with confidence and enjoy! You will own a valuable lasting piece of jewelry that will bring glamour and happiness in many moments of your life.