Black is beautiful

EVERY gem has some exotic legend attached to it. One such jewel is the Tahitian black pearl. Legend says that this gem illuminated the heavens and was used by gods to create the firmament of bright stars. A symbol of harmony and beauty, it was given by the gods to humans as a token of love. Today, the precious gem has found favour in all fashion circles.

The story of how this gem was discovered is as fascinating as the beautiful women who wear it! It is said that Polynesia’s colonial French rulers knew that the country’s limpid blue lagoons were a source for the rare black-lipped oyster. From the 19th century, they harvested these shells in large numbers for the lucrative European button industry. As a result, there was a complete commercialisation of the Tuamotu and Gambier lagoons in two of the five archipelagos of French Polynesia by Polynesians and French businessmen. These commercial harvesters took out thousands of black oysters and found that on an average, one shell out of every 15,000 contained a priceless, naturally formed pearl!

Even before the secret of its cultivation was discovered, the precious black pearl of Tahiti had attracted the attention of the world’s top jewellers. High society women began to appreciate the value and rarity of this gem further when the world’s most famous royal families wore black pearls of Tahiti with pride. The most famous black pearl, Azra, mounted as a centrepiece in a necklace in the Russian Crown Collection attracted all jewel-lovers to this gem. Slowly, over the past two centuries, black pearls became the preferred gem of celebrities, rich socialites and glamorous film stars all over the world.

The first effort of culturing these exotic pearls took place in 1961 at the Bora Bora lagoon. In 1963, researchers proved that such culturing on a fairly large scale was possible. Several farms were set up on the islands of Manihi, Marutea and Mangareva to enhance black pearl production.

The process of culturing a pearl is as interesting as its discovery! In certain seasons, a blacklipped oyster, which is usually attached to a coral, produces spawn, which is then fertilised in water. After a month, the baby oysters, called ‘spat’, stick to the coral or perish under layers of sand. Pearl farmers collect this ‘spat’ and rear the spawn on underwater lines for more than three years, during which they take immaculate care to preserve their vitality and growth. When the oyster is ready for grafting, a small piece of the mother of pearl — called a nucleus — is inserted surgically into the oyster. This stimulates the secretion of the pearly substance called nacre. Layers of nacre over the nucleus finally form the pearl. It is then removed carefully and made ready for the market. Out of 100 such oysters nurtured, only 50 yield pearls!

Tahitian black pearls come in different sizes, colours, shapes and qualities — ranging from grey to black. However, the yellow white pearl is considered priceless. Each pearl, depending upon its quality, can cost as much as Rs 2500 or more. Today, Tahiti cultured pearls are fully branded by the French Polynesian Parliament.

With Indian jewellery lovers offering a large niche market for this magical gem , a new vista has opened up for the business. Pearls de Tahiti, a company set up by the Government of Tahiti, has opened its office in India.

"The Tahitian black pearl has earned phenomenal popularity among top Indian jewellery shops within the last two years", says Chitra Naik, director of Castcon International, the company which markets the pearls in India.

"The future surely looks bright for this rare "living gem", which reveals nature’s deepest mysteries with its unique lustre!"

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