Visiting Robert Wan's Black Pearl Museum

Priceless bikini made of natural black pearls from the Tuamotos

  Black pearls are everywhere in French Polynesia so not knowing anything about them I decided to take an excursion to the Robert Wan Museum in Papeete to learn more about the history of pearl farming and how to identify a good quality black pearl.  Here is an abbreviated version.

The people of Polynesia are among the most accomplished divers in the world. The divers of the Tuamotu archipelago have exceptional skill, frequently reaching depths of 100 - 130 feet, some can
remain under the water for as long as 3 minutes. Unlike the divers of the Persian Gulf or Ceylon, they do not use stones to weigh themselves down and reach the seabed using only their arms to pull themselves down, hyperventilating and occasionally performing chants before beginning the dive.

Over the last century there has been a steady decline in the pearl industry.  Since 1960 a decrease from 645 tons to 185 tons in the Tuamotu Archipelago in 1970. Today the traditional activity of pearl fishing has been superseded by pearl farming. Pearl farms currently are the biggest source of income in French Polynesia. Using sophisticated techniques, pearl production on a grand scale has allowed Polynesia to capture much of the global market and demand for Polynesian black pearls in Europe and the US since the 1980’s.

The real growth in the pearl industry, took place thanks to the invention of modern farming techniques by Kichimatsu Mikimoto of Japan.  A process that involves growing the oysters to a certain age when they are ready for grafting. Next nuclei between 2 and 12 mm are cut from the shell of certain varieties of fresh water mussel and then smoothed off so they are perfectly spherical. Then the oysters are grafted involving the cutting of small pieces of flesh from the mantel and the nucleus which are then inserted into the oyster’s gonad. The oyster is then massaged to speed up the healing process.

Beautiful mother of pearl objects and jewelry were on exhibit. This photo shows a Silver Rosary, Pair of Opera Glasses, Tea Caddy, a Silverboar’s head stamp, writing set, a natural seed pearl necklace, drop earrings, and a natural pearl brooch.

The Chinese and Japanese were also very interested in pearls and mother of pearl for decoration for military attire, regal crowns, and also a large oyster shell engraved in Japanese is exhibited.

Large oyster shell engraved in Japanese

Here is a list of basic criteria to look for when choosing black pearls for purchase and to help guide in  determining the value of black pearls,
Luster, which is the reflection of the light on the surface of the pearl giving it brilliance.
Orient, is the way the mother-of-pearl reflects and splits the light through aragonite crystal’s secreted around the nucleus.
Surface, shows marks of gestation, such as tiny streaks of sand or depressions that make each pearl unique.
Size, the smallest pearls are 8 mm in diameter. The majority are from 9 to 12 millimeters. Those over 13 mm are rare.
Color, the basic black or grey have a multitude of tones from white to lunar grey with tints of cherry, peacock, blue, Tahitian silver, Tahitian gold may appear. Personal preference is always yours.
Shape, perfectly round and symmetrical pearls are the rarest and most outstanding. They represent a maximum of 5% of the harvest. Round pearls which are the most sought after are mainly used for rings and necklaces, whereas other pearl shapes are used for original creations by designers.
Matching pearls can be extremely difficult and prized necklaces may take several years and harvests to complete.

While, the price ranges are from thousands of dollars for top quality pearls to smaller less perfect pearls for 2-3 dollars each.  My hopes are to find some beautiful pearls from an interesting island in the Tuamotus for a reasonable price.  For me it is primarily about the cultural experience and interaction with the islanders than finding the perfect pearl. They will have much more memorable value to me and make wonderful gifts for family and friends.  But then again, I could be happily swayed into a lovely gift set from my husband!