Tahitian pearls are known for their unusual color and large size, both made possible by Pinctada margaritifera - the black-lipped oyster - found in the pristine lagoons of French Polynesia. They are cultivated in only a handful of places on earth, which makes them among the rarest and most valuable pearls in the world.

Most people call them "black pearls," but that name only tells part of the story. A true, solid-black Tahitian pearl is actually rare. Left to nature, these pearls come in a remarkably wide range of colors - white, silver, blue, green, aubergine, gold, and the deep charcoal-black they are named for. That natural range is exactly what makes them so sought after, and it is why no two pieces we make are ever quite the same.

Nearly every other pearl on the market starts out pale. Tahitian pearls are the exception - they are the only widely available pearl that grows naturally dark, with no dye and no treatment. That color comes from the black-lipped oyster itself, whose shell has the same dark, iridescent interior you see reflected in the pearl.

The oyster is also large, which is why Tahitian pearls tend to be bigger than freshwater or Akoya pearls. A bigger oyster can carry a bigger nucleus, and grow a bigger pearl around it. Size, natural color, and the limited waters they come from are what set a genuine Tahitian pearl apart.

The nickname comes from the darkest, most dramatic examples, but it is a little misleading. Most Tahitian pearls are not jet black at all - they are charcoal grey, silver, deep green, or aubergine, with color that shifts as the pearl moves in the light. A truly black Tahitian pearl, with no other overtone, is one of the rarer things to come out of the lagoon.

This is worth knowing before you buy. A lot of inexpensive "black pearls" sold online are freshwater pearls that have been dyed black to imitate the real thing. A natural Tahitian pearl earns its color from the oyster, not from a dye bath. Because every pearl in our jewelry is grown and harvested on our own family farm, you always know which one you are getting.

Tahitian pearls have a body color and one or more overtones - the secondary shades that flash across the surface as it catches the light. That layering is why a single pearl can look green in one moment and purple the next.

Here are the colors you are likely to see:

Dark/Black

The color that gave these pearls their name. A truly solid-black pearl, with no other color in it, is one of the rarer things to come out of the lagoon - most dark Tahitian pearls are deep charcoal or graphite, carrying quiet flashes of green, blue, or aubergine when they catch the light. Dramatic and timeless, a dark pearl is the one most people picture when they hear "Tahitian black pearl," and its depth of color makes those overtones stand out like nothing else.

Silver

Lighter, cooler pearls with a bright, mirror-like surface. An easy, everyday color that flatters almost any skin tone.

Gold and Champagne

Warmer pearls with soft golden or bronze overtones - less common in Tahitian pearls, and lovely against warm metals.

Peacock

The most famous and most requested Tahitian color. A peacock pearl has a dark green body with rose, purple, and gold flashes moving across it, much like the eye of a peacock feather. Fine peacock pearls are among the most valuable of all.

Aubergine

A deep eggplant purple, sometimes leaning almost black. Rich, moody, and increasingly collected.

Blue and Green

Blue pearls range from soft steel to deep ocean blue. Greens run from bright pistachio to a dark forest green. Both are classic Tahitian tones and pair beautifully with silver and gold alike.

Most Tahitian pearls fall between 8mm and 14mm, with 8mm to 11mm being the everyday sweet spot for jewelry. Exceptional pearls reach 15mm and beyond, and those large, well-formed pearls are genuinely scarce - which is reflected in their price. As a rule, the larger the pearl, the fewer the oyster produces at that quality, and the more valuable it becomes.

Five things determine the value of any Tahitian pearl:

• Size - larger pearls are rarer and command more.
• Shape - a perfectly round pearl is the hardest for an oyster to produce, and the most prized. Semi-round, drop, circle, and baroque shapes each have their own character and value.
• Color - rich, distinctive overtones like peacock and aubergine are worth more than plainer tones.
• Luster - the sharpness and depth of the reflection on the surface. High luster is the mark of a quality pearl.
• Surface quality - the fewer the natural marks, the higher the grade.

We weigh all five when we sort every harvest. You can read exactly how we sort and grade on our Tahitian pearl grading page.

It helps to know where Tahitian pearls sit among the other main types:

• Freshwater pearls are grown in mussels, mostly in China. They are affordable and come in many colors, though darker ones are often dyed.
• Akoya pearls are the classic small, round, white pearls, grown in Japan and prized for their bright luster.
• South Sea pearls are the largest of all, in white, silver, and gold, grown in Australia and Southeast Asia.
• Tahitian pearls are the naturally dark ones - the only pearl that grows in this range of blues, greens, purples, and blacks without treatment.

We do not buy our pearls from a wholesaler. We grow them. Every pearl in our jewelry is raised and hand-harvested on our family farm on the atoll of Takaroa, in the Tuamotu Archipelago of French Polynesia, then handcrafted into finished pieces in our Boise, Idaho workshop.

Farming this way means we control the whole story - from the health of the lagoon to the pearl you receive. We use sustainable methods that let the oysters thrive and keep the water clean for the next generation. If you want to see how a Tahitian pearl actually comes to be, read about our pearl farming.

When you buy from us, there are no middlemen and no guesswork about where your pearl came from. It came from our lagoon, and it was chosen by hand. Explore our collection to find the color and shape that is yours.