Black Pearls

Pearls have long been a representation of financial advantage because thousands of oysters are deemed to be searched just to look for a single piece.

Long ago when cultured pearls weren’t as huge as it is today, they were prized unbelievably high and was said to be comparable to the price of a real estate. Top quality pearls can make matchless pearl jewelry which is very rare. The current value of pearls is just about the same as the other precious gems depending on the size and quality, sometimes even more expensive. Natural pearls have even become much rarer because innumerable mollusks are used to produce cultured pearls.

The pearl is now becoming one of the most sought after article in fashion jewelry and famous black pearls are taking a huge part of this rage. There are innumerable types of black pearls, but one of the most exquisite and most talked about are the Tahitian black pearls which are a bit larger in size compared to the ordinary ones. This type may be one of the most exceedingly priced due to its scarcity and its disability to be mass produced.

The Tahitian Islands in the coast of Polynesia is the leading exporter of the Tahitian pearls. One may ask why they are black. It is because they are created in a special type of mollusk called the Pinctada Margaritifera or otherwise known as the black-lipped mother of pearl. This type of oyster secretes a naturally black pigmentation which gives the pearls its shiny darker appearance. However, although they are called black pearls, some of them may come in hues of gray to grayish-black depending on the amount of the black pigmentation that was received.

Others are still confused if black pearls are natural. The answer is a combination of yes and no. It is naturally cultured which has a subtle intervention of man in between. However, growing these types of pearls is not an easy job. The widest laboratory for cultured pearls is located in Japan. In fact, a huge number of Japanese black pearl makers are heavily booked up as early as years in advance! They have been once considered as the highest paid laborers in the world making millions of dollars per year!

First, the special types of oysters are collected and a very skilled technician places a piece of nucleus in the womb of shell, added by a small piece from the donor shell. The so-called nucleus is a small piece of the very rare Mississippi clam particularly cultivated for such purpose. After everything is settled in, they wait for nature to take its course. Layers and layers of nacre coating bind the nucleus together form a single piece of pearl.

This is a very serious as well as a very delicate process. To help them withstand the pressure of natural progression, shells should be constantly monitored and should always be in good condition. They are regularly cleaned to avoid the build up of unnecessary algae. However, this entire course is very time consuming, the minimum time that the black pearls can be harvested is 2 years! But the results are astounding – the perfectly round, lustrous black pearl.

Black pearls have long been the symbol of power and beauty that’s why jewelers are very much inspired to make lovely black pearl jewelry. They have also been associated with elegance and sophistication as how it readily reflects their formation.

To whatever purposes it may serve even in the superficial sense of aesthetic appreciation to the more profound logic of the metaphor that it signifies, black pearls will still remain one of the most astounding interference of man over nature.