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The pearl has been described as a "living and fragile jewel which, better than any other, accompanies and enhances the beauty of a woman." Once considered passe, this regal jewel again is being worn and cherished by women the world over.
The incomparable black pearl, sought after for its contrast with white pearls, perfectly compliments every other kind of jewel, including white pearls, colored stones and, of course, diamonds.
With a lustre caused by the reflection of light from their satiny surface, black pearls have caused many to remark, "It's like looking into a mirror." And, indeed, precious black pearl jewelry, from the simplest to the most sumptuous design, surrounds the wearer in an aura of magic.
Rare natural black pearls can have highlights of red, purple, copper, gray, silver or steel blue. Cultured pearls have exactly the same characteristics and are just as brilliant.
Today's cultured black pearl, which begins with a surgical intervention and ends in a work of art, is a magnificent jewel taken from the sea to adorn and enhance
"l'eternel feminin."
Cultured black pearls of Polynesia, brilliant, inimitable stones ranging in color from a delicate pearl gray to a dramatic green-black, are the symbol of the islands' wealth and beauty. Their like is found nowhere else in the world. Each pearl is different, unique, and yet each embodies the mystique of this faraway tropical paradise.
Long ago-and even in more recent times-the reason for oyster diving was to obtain mother-of-pearl. Discovering a valuable pearl was a windfall that lent spice and glamour to the otherwise difficult and boring job.
European navigators to Polynesia began a brisk trade in pearls and mother-of-pearl, using the barter system with control in the hands of the captains of the trading vessels. In those days "one had only to stand waist deep in the water to pick up pearl oysters," but by 1850, the oyster beds began to be scarce.
Government intervention helped develop and regulate the oyster and pearl fishing industry, but by this time divers had to go approximately 60 to 90 feet down to harvest the precious crop. The risks were many. Over the next 100 years oyster beds became totally over fished and over collected. By 1962, the situation became catastrophic-natural black pearls had practically disappeared. It was time to think about producing cultured pearls.
With their introduction, the country moved away from the "lottery" of natural pearls and into an era of scientifically organized reproduction. The Tahiti Department of Fisheries in 1963 pioneered the first attempts to grow cultured pearls in Polynesia, and several successful pearl farms quickly sprang up in the islands.
It's a long and painstaking process to grow a cultured pearl.
First, young oysters-Pinctada Margaritifera, not the type that are eaten-are collected and "raised" to a sufficient size for grafting.
Next, follows a procedure requiring all the skill and technical expertise of a surgeon. A tiny ball-generally a ¼-in. polished piece of mollusk shell known as the seed or nucleus-is inserted in the body of the oyster, along with a small graft of the epithelium tissue from another oyster. The epithelium spreads out around the nucleus, forming a "pearl sack." The sack secretes nacre in concentric layers around the nucleus, forming the pearl. The black color is produced from the edge of the mantle of the oyster.
Once grafted, the young are returned to protected waters, either in Tuamotu Archipelago or the Gambier Islands. And growing a pearl takes time--an average of two or three years.
Predators, pollution and parasites, as well as hurricanes, all jeopardize the process. The success rate is reported at between 25 and 40 percent-or for every 10,000 oysters grafted, 3,000 pearls are retrieved.
Now let's move on to the ultimate result-exquisite black pearl jewelry fit for a queen…and certainly you!
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