Black-Lipped South Sea Oyster

Rikitea, Mangareva Atoll, Tahiti

The legendary island of Tahiti in French Polynesia is known world round for producing the black south sea pearl, or Tahitian pearl. Instantly recognizable for its natural dark colors, Black South Sea pearls are not actually only black, they can posses secondary color tones ranging from green, blue, purple and red. Belle directly sources its Black South Sea pearls from small scale family farms, primarily from the island of Rikitea, in the Gambier Atoll.

The naturally colorful tones of the Black South Sea pearl has always had home in the islands of Tahiti . The light pastels colors seem to reflect the verdant nature of the islands, while dark yet luminous pearl tones seem to mirror the star lit nights, that have made Tahiti legendary.



In these remote marine habitats, wild oysters thrive and nowhere better than the island of Rikitea- famed for its intensely lustrous pearls.



Here deep in heart of the Pacific Ocean, the knowledge of pearling supports has connected entire communities and become a way of life, a spiritual symbol of Tahiti and her islands.