According to Tahitian folklore, the god Oro used his rainbows to visit earth and give mother of pearl its iridescence & Tahitian pearls their myriad metallic hues - including gray, black, green, peacock, blue and aubergine. Typically ranging in size from 8-12 mm and non-round or baroque in shape, they are harvested from the black-lipped pearl in the atolls of the French Polynesian islands and, yes, Tahiti. Mid-19th century European overharvesting threatened to wipe out the oyster population entirely, until the French gained control of the islands in the 1880s & began to regulate fishing, enabling the beleaguered black-lipped oyster to re-populate. It wasn't until 1962 that Tahitian pearls began to be cultivated, a process that can take up to five years from start to finish.
The 2007 Green Tahitian Collection from Iridesse features a variety of colors, including brown, taupe, blue, green and black. $200 will get you a single pearl pendant on a leather cord, while pearl stud earrings run around $600; an 18" strand (top right) is $1500, while an eyecatching mix of baroque pearls, 18k gold & garnet (top left) is $7350.
Available at Iridesse.com.
- Lesley Scott
