The pearl is in a world of its own

When it comes to precious gems, the pearl is in a world of its own. Rather than coming from the ground, it comes from mollusks like oysters or mussels. Because of the nature in which they are made, pearls were once very rare, and only the wealthiest of people could afford them. But now we understand the science behind how a pearl is made, and they can be cultivated with ease, causing them to be much more affordable in this day and age. Not only that, but colors that were once considered to be rare and a real catch have because accessible. One of these colors of pearls is the black pearl, or the Tahitian black pearl. Exotic, enticing, and classy, the black pearl can be worn by any age group, with any style.

The Tahitian black pearl gets it name from the island of Tahiti and it's surrounding islands where it was originally discovered. They come from black pearl oysters, which were hunted with some ferocity in the 1960's, particularly on the island of Hikueru near Bora Bora. Black pearls were exported from this island until 1972. Since then, we have been able to make cultured pearls. Black pearls however aren't always black. Given the conditions during the period the pearl was grown, the color a pearl takes is influenced greatly by the water it grows in. This means that black pearls can come in shades of grey to bluish black.

Pearls are grown because of some form of invader that lodges itself in a mollusk, be it a bit of sand, or in cultured pearls, something larger like a ball bearing. Depending on how large the cultivator wants the pearl to get, or what type of quality he is looking for, the pearls can be left in to about 10 months to years. During this time, the oyster will secrete nacre onto the irritant, which usually takes the same color as the inside of the mollusk's shell, but this can be influenced by the oxygenation of the water or water quality. As time passes, layers of nacre builds on the irritant, also known as a nucleus, making a pearl. The longer the pearl is left in, the bigger it gets and usually the luster quality is better. When choosing pearl earrings, often doesn't have to be as big as other pearl jewelry, but the challenge in making them is finding two pearls that look the same size, shape, and color.