History of a Gem

Because of their value, pearl oysters were once overharvested to the point of near extinction. Fortunately, science has made it possible to cultivate pearls without threatening oyster populations. Pearl farms were established to harvest pearls in a more sustainable way.

It takes around two and a half years for an oyster to grow large enough to produce a pearl. Once the oyster is ready, the grafting process begins. The grafter selects a donor oyster, usually chosen for the beauty of its colors, and removes a small piece of mantle tissue to insert into another oyster. The mantle is the organ that produces nacre, the beautiful iridescent substance that forms the pearl. It also helps determine the color of the future Tahitian pearl.

The grafter then inserts a nucleus, which is a round bead made from the shell of a freshwater mussel, traditionally sourced from the Mississippi River.

The oysters are then suspended on long lines in the clear waters of the lagoon for about a year and a half while the pearls form and grow inside them.

Finally, the oysters are removed from the water and the pearls are carefully extracted. The same oyster can sometimes be grafted again and may produce pearls several times over its lifetime.