Tahitian pearl

Tahitian pearls come in a range of colors from white to black. A true black Tahitian pearl is extremely rare, and largely considered one of the most beautiful kinds of pearls in the world. Most Tahitian pearls that are identified as “black” are actually charcoal grey, silver, or dark green. The cultured Tahitian pearl comes in various shapes, which include round, semi-round, button, circle, oval, teardrop, semi-baroque and baroque. An advantage of the Tahitian pearl is that the oyster inside of which they grow is quite large, sometimes weighing as much as ten pounds. This means that a Tahitian pearl can more easily grow to a larger-than-average size. The versatility and mixture of color give it its value. ==Culturing==

The culturing process of a Tahitian pearl involves a grafter, who inserts a bead made from a mollusk shell into the gonad, or reproductive organ, of the mature Pinctada margaritifera mollusk. It takes two years for an oyster to mature enough to begin producing pearls. Inserted with the bead is a piece of mantle tissue from a donor mollusk, which influences the color of the pearl being produced and provides epithelial cells to ensure that the oyster produces nacre around the nucleus. The materials used in the process are organic, to decrease the probability of the oyster rejecting the nucleus. ==As an export==

The Tahitian pearl is French Polynesia’s largest export, making up over 55 percent of the country's annual exports of 20 million dollars. ==See also==