TAHITIAN pearls are highly valued because of their rarity; the culturing process for them dictates a smaller volume output and can never be mass produced. Before the days of cultured pearls, black pearls were very rare and highly valued for the simple reason that white pearl oysters rarely produced naturally black pearls, and black pearl oysters rarely produced any natural pearls at all. The black pearl oyster or Pinctada margaritifera is found in Tahiti and many other Pacific Island areas.
PEARLS are the result of a biological process; the oyster's way of protecting itself from foreign substances. The pearls are formed by a substance called nacre. Nacre builds up around the foreign substance that has been inserted under the skin of the mollusk between the oyster’s bivalves, which means that its shell is made of two parts, or valves. The nacre is made up of calcium carbonate. The pearls shape and sizes vary based on what is put in the shell.
Oysters are not the only type of mollusk that can produce pearls. Clams and mussels can also produce pearls, but that is a much rarer occurrence. Most pearls are produced by oysters in both freshwater and saltwater environments.
Most jewelry is fashioned out of precious metals and jewels that are found buried in the Earth, but pearls are found inside a living creature, an oyster.
They are organic, and therefore should only be cleaned with water, hand polish clasp. Always avoid direct contact with perfumes and hairspray when wearing pearls.
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