Pearls by Angela Carol

Have you ever heard of a black pearl?  Or maybe even a Tahitian pearl?  They are exquisite specimens of a pearl.  They have a beauty all of their own and it can not be compared to any other type of pearl in the world.

In the 1970’s the Tahitian pearls was marketed as “black” pearls and that is why today they are commonly called that.  Of course movies that contain references to black pearls only enhance the desire to call Tahitian pearls black pearls but that seems to be ok with most people.  Tahitian pearls are not really black in color at all and are actually a lot of different colors with some wonderful overtones that give it that shimmer of color that is so loved about the black pearl.

The colors of a Tahitian or a black pearl that are truly loved so much would have to be the aubergine or an eggplant color.  These types of black pearls usually have the darkest of colors and are what people love the most of the black pearl.  There are also dark greens and yellowish greens.  Black pearls come in other purple colors and dark green grays.  They basically come in a large range of colors and they are all beautiful.  Black pearls or Tahitian pearls also come in golden colors and off whites too but people seem to prefer the darker colors when speaking about or looking for black pearls.  The peacock color is also very valued with in black pearls.  The black pearl usually has a plethora of overtones that make the pearl radiate beauty and those create a wonderful color for many of the pearls.

The black pearl is grown in side of a black lipped oyster or a Pinctada Margaritifewa Cumingi.  These oysters grow very large and that is a reason why the black pearls are able to grow as large as they can grow.  These oysters also live on average about thirty years and that allows plenty of time for the oyster to grow black pearls.  The average size of a black or Tahitian pearl would be around 8mm to 14 mm.  This is quite a large pearl.  In comparison the Akoya pearl is on average the size of the smallest black pearl.  These black pearls are usually so large due to the fact that the water in the Pacific Ocean where these oysters are found is usually much warmer than other parts of the Pacific Ocean.  They are also larger and require more food which in the warm waters is also abundant and readily found so the oyster can grow larger and grow larger pearls.  The largest Tahitian pearl to ever be found was 27mm and over one inch in diameter.

These black or Tahitian pearls are also wonderful to use in jewelry.  Many pearl earrings are made from black pearls.  There are pearl necklaces made with black or Tahitian pearls but you will find that they are rather expensive.  If you want to look at it from a point of view that will compare a black pearl necklace to one that is made of the queen of pearls the Akoya you will find that the pearl necklace made of black pearls is ten to fifteen times more expensive than that of a pearl necklace made from Akoya pearls.  The reason for this is that pearl necklaces are made out of pearls that are relevant in size to each other.  It is very hard to find black pearls that are in the same shape and in ranging sizes to put on a pearl necklace.  So when one is made it is quite expensive.  It is exquisite but expensive.  Black pearls or Tahitian pearls are truly some prized gems and should be treated as such.