The Black Pearl
VulcanSpirit
Richard & Alison Brunstrom
Sat 16 Jun 2012 17:11
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Not the ship in Pirates of the Caribbean, but the
genuine article. The Tuomoto archipelago has become slightly famous for its
production of (farmed) black pearls. These are produced by the Black Lipped
Oyster Pinctada margaritifera-cuming. Pearls are produced by
inserting a seed pearl (for some strange reason I know not these are all
sourced from a freshwater mussel in the Mississippi) into the oyster's gonad.
This requires the oyster to be lifted and its two valves wedged open briefly and
harmlessly. It is then returned to the water in the lagoon for about 18 months
by which time, with luck, it will have produced a large pearl of distinctive
colour. Because the seed pearl is inserted it can be shaped, resulting in a
useful variety shapes in the final pearls - which come in a range of hues from
off-white to black. This had become a major industry (55% of the exports of
French Polynesia).
The French government gave a lot of financial
support for pearl farming. Everyone thought they could get rich, but they
over-produced so the market collapsed; in the current global financial climate
there is no sign of a revival. There is now almost no profit to the farmers in
selling merely pearls, only the resulting jewellry, and many farms are
closing or working on a shoestring. A shame because it's basically a viable and
ecologically sustainable business (doubly important in a UNESCO World Biosphere
Reserve).
Here is the business end of a pearl farm (owned by
a passionately enthusiastic German guy who has farmed here for years:
 And here is the work. About 300 oysters are
processed per day, a relatively small proportion of which contain usable pearls.
the oysters are removed from the water, gently prised open and checked for
pearls which are removed. Another seed pearl of the same size as that removed
may then be inserted and the oyster returned to the lagoon for another 18
months.
  A shack on stilts, a stand to hold the oyster in
the right orientation, a couple of implements and the pearls themselves.
Simple.
We are (well, one of us is, to be
exact) now the proud owner/s of a nice pearl necklace and matching
bracelet. Apparently, I have been robustly informed, it's our pearl wedding
anniversary this year (a bloody cheek, coming from someone who forgot
nearly every one of our anniversaries starting with our first, second, third and
fourth and still can't remember whether it's on the second of June, or of
July) and therefore pearls must be purchased. But it's in a good cause -
the French economy needs all the help it can get. Harmony
reigns.
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