Tahitian Pearls

Grown in the tropical waters of French Polynesia, black Tahitian pearls are found in oysters of the large black-lip variety. Because only a tiny amount of Tahitian pearls survive to produce a pearl of fine enough quality, these pearls are much rarer than most other types. Every Tahitian pearl is entirely unique and harvesters may be required to sift through several hundred - or even thousands - to find ones similar enough to craft a single pearl necklace or pearl bracelet strand.

1
Decide on a color. Tahitian black pearls come in a wide range of colors, not only black, although that is the most popular color. Black pearls may be gray, cream, blue, turquoise, pink or gold. The rarest, and therefore the most expensive, color for black pearls is eggplant, or deep purple, and peacock green.

2
Look at the size. Pearls from the black-lipped oyster tend to be larger than that of other oysters, such as Japanese oysters. Other oysters' average range is from 4 to 7 millimeters. Black pearls start at 8 millimeters and average about 10 to 11 millimeters. Larger pearls are rarer and more valuable.

3
Rotate the pearl. This will show the orient, or iridescent overtone, of the pearl, which results when light plays through the layers of nacre. It should be a shimmer of colors and varies from pearl to pearl. With black Tahitian pearls, the greenish-black and blue orient is preferred. Higher quality black pearls have a strong orient.