What is a Tahitian Pearl? | Pearl Jewelry

This is Jill Maurer with Your Jewelry Minute, and today I'm answering the question, what is a Tahitian pearl? To be a Tahitian pearl, it has to come from the Pinctada Margaritifera oyster. That's a mouthful. And this is an oyster that has black mother of pearl, or dark mother of pearl. Despite its name, a Tahitian pearl does not come from Tahiti. It does come from the French Polynesian Islands, and Tahiti is Sort of the biggest central island there. So it is where most of Tahitian pearls are sold and traded. It's the trading center of French Polynesia. Tahitian pearls are not always black. They can sometimes be silver or gray. They can be kind of green, brown, purple, or a darker black color. They can have even a peacock kind of effect. They're beautiful pearls. Tahitian pearls are known as black pearls, and other pearls that are dark are usually dyed. These are naturally darker colored pearls. Tahitian pearls are pretty large in size. They're not as big as the Pinctada Maxima that produces South Sea pearls, but they are a pretty big oyster, and the pearls can be between 8 millimeters and 18 millimeters in size. Like South Sea pearls, Tahitian pearls have come down in price as farming techniques have become more advanced, so it can be a good time to start thinking about getting a Tahitian pearl or a South Sea pearl. If you have tried to get these in the past and thought they were just too expensive, Take a look again, you'll be surprised at how far down in price these pearls have come. So that is the Tahitian, or as some countries say, Tahitian pearl. If you have a jewelry question for me, just ask me in the comments below. Until next time!