Discovering the Pearl Farmer's Trade A 4000-Year-Old Treasure

Even the gods of Olympus themselves succumbed to the charms of fine pearls. The ancient Greeks referred to mother-of-pearl pearls as "the tears of Aphrodite".

While almost everyone knows that pearls come to life mostly in oysters, few are aware of the true artists who make this miracle possible. Nowadays, it has become very rare to find completely natural pearls, known as "fine"; most are the result of painstaking work and many years of patience. It was in the 18th century in China that cultured pearls appeared, along with the profession of pearl farmer.

Nonetheless, it was the Japanese, in particular, who bestowed cultured pearls with their noble status.

A game of patience

Nearly 5 years elapse between the moment the pearl farmer nurtures the embryo of a pearl oyster and when the Tahitian cultured pearl can finally adorn a face or neck. Firstly, the pearl farmer selects an oyster into which a nucleus is grafted. Then, working about half the time, the shell to protect itself from the intruder will encase it in a substance called aragonite, composed of calcium carbonate. This is the same phenomenon that occurs naturally. The pearl farmer then embarks on a long game of patience during which he must care for the oysters, protecting them from disease and predators. The shells are also sensitive to parasites against which the pearl farmer must shield them. Once the pearl has reached a reasonable size and shape, the pearl farmer will harvest it and offer it to a retailer.

Today, over 99% of the pearls marketed are the result of human endeavour. There are four main families worldwide: freshwater pearls, Akoya pearls, Australian pearls, and Tahitian pearls. The latter are recognisable by their black colour.

It should also be noted that Majorca pearls are not cultured pearls but simple glass beads coated with several layers of enamel. This takes nothing away from their charm.