Tahitian Pearls

“An irritating, tiny grain of sand cultivates layers of luminous, miraculous, one of a kind beauty just as life challenges cultivates and evolves each of our souls.”-unknown.

As I sit here reflecting, drawing my hand along my throat,  I am drawn back to my time in Tahiti and the little orbs that hang from my silver chain. They were a gift I bought myself in December 2014 while in the Islands of French Polynesia. My particular pearls were bought at the Tahiti Pearl Market in Vaitape. I remember the day well. We began the day with a shark and sting ray excursion. As we were finishing our day out on the ocean and lagoon of Bora Bora, a storm moved in. Here the 10 of us were on a small boat and the captain had us sit steadily facing the shore as we waited for the storm to pass. We entertained ourselves with various camp songs and could not resist singing the theme from “Gilligan’s Island”. Once we made it back to the resort, it was a quick change to catch our ferry to the mainland to have some lunch and shopping in Vaitape. We were caught in another downpour and waited it out in the restaurant before venturing to the stores. Black pearls are really a must purchase you see and we were on a mission that day to come home with some.

The black pearl is known as the Tahitian Pearl.

This organic gem is formed from the black lip oyster and primarily earns the name Tahitian Pearl because they are mostly cultivated around the islands of French Polynesian. The pearls actually aren’t true black; they’re charcoal, and they also can be found as silver or dark green. At the Tahiti Pearl Market you had the option to purchase a piece already made or could design your own. I opted to make my own design so that it would be one of a kind. The pearls range in size, shape, color and luster. The price ranges too, depending on the size, color, and luster you choose for your setting.

Looking at the boxes and boxes of pearls it was so hard to decide, but fun at the same time.

It was like having a bag of marbles, but on smaller scale. I finally chose a charcoal, green, and white to place on an “S”-shaped pendant I had picked out. The amazing part is they actually assembled and crafted your design while you waited. You could watch the French Polynesian woman behind the glass. I truly must say the French Polynesians are some of the most friendly people you will ever meet in your travels. After about 30 minutes my creation was complete with certificate of authenticity. I was so excited to collect my treasure and return to the shuttle with my friends. Almost all 10 of us had something either made or purchased throughout that afternoon. It is truly a treasure I will cherish for a lifetime.

updated July 19. 2020