---
title: Fine pearls in the 19th century, a rare and natural treasure
description: We offer for sale rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and any other jewellery set with genuine designer black pearls.
url: https://www.poemotu.com/en/blog-tahitian-pearls-poemotu-en/fine-pearls-19th-century-rare-natural-treasure.html
---

# Fine pearls in the 19th century, a rare and natural treasure

Fine pearls in the 19th century, a rare and natural treasure

## 22 avril 2020

[**Keshi Natural Pearl**](https://www.poemotu.com/perles-de-tahiti/fr/31-bijoux-perles-naturelles "natural pearl jewellery")

Rarely found in an oyster, the [**Fine Pearl**](https://www.poemotu.com/perles-de-tahiti/fr/31-bijoux-perles-naturelles "natural pearl jewellery") is the result of the [**Mother of Pearl's**](https://www.poemotu.com/perles-de-tahiti/fr/ "Tahitian cultured pearl jewellery") defence mechanism following the intrusion of a foreign body, such as a small stone or shell fragment, into the bivalve. The foreign body is rarely spherical, so [**Fine Pearls**](https://www.poemotu.com/perles-de-tahiti/fr/31-bijoux-perles-naturelles "natural pearl jewellery") are exceptionally round, rather of baroque shape (without an axis of symmetry), and **White Pearls** are the only ones sought after, becoming the rarest and most expensive in the world. Generally with a diameter of 9 mm, the [**Fine Pearl**](https://www.poemotu.com/perles-de-tahiti/fr/31-bijoux-perles-naturelles "natural pearl jewellery") can be sold at quite exceptional prices if it is spherical and boasts a beautiful lustre (colour emanating from the **Pearl**). At the beginning of the 20th century, they traded on average for 3000 Pacific francs, equating to 15 times the monthly salary of a worker. Unfortunately, fishermen, unable to correctly estimate the value of the [**Pearls**](https://www.poemotu.com/perles-de-tahiti/fr/ "Tahitian cultured pearl jewellery") they caught, were swindled by traders who resold them at much higher prices on the American and European markets.

Even today, [**Fine Pearls**](https://www.poemotu.com/perles-de-tahiti/fr/31-bijoux-perles-naturelles "natural pearl jewellery") have their enthusiasts. Paradoxically, pearl farms also produce these **Natural Pearls** when the aragonite nucleus inserted into the [**Mother of Pearl's**](https://www.poemotu.com/perles-de-tahiti/fr/ "Tahitian cultured pearl jewellery") gonad to form a [**TAHITI Cultured Pearl**](https://www.poemotu.com/perles-de-tahiti/fr/ "Tahitian cultured pearl jewellery") is rejected, and the **pearl oyster** still initiates its defence mechanism by producing [**Mother of Pearl**](https://www.poemotu.com/perles-de-tahiti/fr/ "Tahitian cultured pearl jewellery").

[**POEMOTU offers you a collection of these jewellery pieces crafted from Natural Pearls known as Keshi**](https://www.poemotu.com/perles-de-tahiti/fr/31-bijoux-perles-naturelles "natural pearl jewellery")

**[Béatrice Brothier](https://www.poemotu.com/societe-poemotu/beatrice-brothier-creatrice-passionnee.html "online jewellery sales"),**passionate gemmologist

Feel free to share this article! ***Sharing knowledge is the greatest wealth that unites people.***

[![](https://www.poemotu.com/media/yootheme/cache/9e/ou%20trouve%20ton%20les%20plus%20belles%20perles%20de%20Tahiti%20-9e2f6425.png)

15 June 2026

### Where Can You Find the Most Beautiful Tahitian Pearls?

Read the article](https://www.poemotu.com/en/blog-tahitian-pearls-poemotu-en/where-find-best-tahiti-pearls)

[![Offer a Pearl, Offer an Island: 5 Reasons to Choose a Tahitian Pearl for Christmas](https://www.poemotu.com/media/yootheme/cache/ba/5-raisons-de-choisir-une-perle-de-tahiti-pour-noel--ba80b311.png)

07 August 2025

### Offer a Pearl, Offer an Island: 5 Reasons to Choose a Tahitian Pearl for Christmas

Read the article](https://www.poemotu.com/en/blog-tahitian-pearls-poemotu-en/gift-a-pearl-gift-an-island-5-reasons-to-choose-a-tahiti-pearl-for-christmas)

[![](https://www.poemotu.com/media/yootheme/cache/31/idees-pour-faire-un-noel-tahitien-311cf955.png)

07 August 2025

### Christmas in the Islands: When Pearls Replace Snow

Read the article](https://www.poemotu.com/en/blog-tahitian-pearls-poemotu-en/island-christmas-pearls-instead-of-snow)

[![](https://www.poemotu.com/media/yootheme/cache/15/heiva-i-tahiti-danse-tahitienne-15bb0bbd.png)

23 July 2025

### Heiva i Tahiti: the soul of Polynesia in dance, music, and tradition

Read the article](https://www.poemotu.com/en/blog-tahitian-pearls-poemotu-en/heiva-tahiti-polynesian-spirit-dance-music-tradition)

[![](https://www.poemotu.com/media/yootheme/cache/27/perle-tahiti-bracelet-homme-27cdab4b.png)

23 June 2025

### Why Do Men Wear Tahitian Pearl Bracelets?

Read the article](https://www.poemotu.com/en/blog-tahitian-pearls-poemotu-en/why-men-wear-tahiti-pearl-bracelets)
