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

Keshi Natural Pearl

Rarely found in an oyster, the Fine Pearl is the result of the Mother of Pearl's 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 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 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 they caught, were swindled by traders who resold them at much higher prices on the American and European markets.

Even today, Fine Pearls have their enthusiasts. Paradoxically, pearl farms also produce these Natural Pearls when the aragonite nucleus inserted into the Mother of Pearl's gonad to form a TAHITI Cultured Pearl is rejected, and the pearl oyster still initiates its defence mechanism by producing Mother of Pearl.

POEMOTU offers you a collection of these jewellery pieces crafted from Natural Pearls known as Keshi

Béatrice Brothier, passionate gemmologist

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