Tahitian Pearls
Tahitian pearls and have become some of the most sought-after pearls in the world. Because of their vast color range, matching these pearls into a finished strand is an enormous task requiring thousands of loose pearls to create a single strand.
We carry the largest selection of 100% genuine, natural-color Tahitian pearls online. We use only fine, export-grade Tahitian pearls in all our jewelry prices, and every necklace is individually photographed.
What you see is what ships
Selected by hand, chosen for you
Every Tahitian strand and bracelet is photographed individually. Never a stock image, never a stand-in. The strand on your screen is the strand that arrives, every pearl and every shade of it, hand-knotted on silk and finished with a solid gold clasp.
Why it matters who you buy from
Bought at the lagoon
Almost no Tahitian pearls are farmed on Tahiti. The farms sit out in the Tuamotus and the Gambiers, hours from anywhere by boat or small plane, and Tahiti is where the paperwork happens.
That distance is the whole problem with buying these pearls at arm's length. Fewer than one percent of a harvest is gem quality, color is the value factor nobody grades, and a price list cannot show you either one. So we go.
Looking for the very best Tahitian?
Round, and matched
French Polynesia grades Tahitian pearls A through D on surface and luster. The grade says nothing at all about color, which is the thing buyers in this category actually care about. So the letter tells you less than you would expect, and four other things separate one strand from another.
Circled
Grooves ringing the pearl. Once discounted, now bought on purpose for the character.
Baroque and keshi
No two alike. Keshi have no bead inside them at all, and often carry the sharpest luster in a harvest.
Round
A small share of any harvest. The shape every other shape is priced against.
Matched
Color varies so widely that assembling one harmonious strand is the hardest job in this category. It is what a fine strand is really charging you for.
Reading Tahitian color
Bodycolor is the pearl. Overtone is what moves across it.
Darker is not better, and that is the single most expensive misconception in this category. A lighter pearl with a vivid overtone and a clean surface outranks a near-black pearl with dull luster every time. You are paying for how alive the color is, not how dark it is.
Peacock
A dark body with green and rose moving across it. The best known and the most asked for. The word is used loosely in the trade, so it has to be judged by eye rather than taken on a label.
Silver and pistachio
Lighter bodies, often with green or gold. Easier to wear in daylight and usually kinder on the budget than the equivalent peacock.
Aubergine and cherry
Purple and red overtones over a dark body. Uncommon on their own and genuinely difficult to match across a full strand.
Before you buy
Are Tahitian pearls dyed?
Not ours. The dark color comes from the black-lipped pearl mollusk and from the donor tissue used at nucleation, and color treatment is illegal in French Polynesia. Dyed freshwater and treated akoya pearls are sold as black pearls all over the market, which is exactly why we guarantee natural color on every Tahitian piece we sell.
Can I see the exact piece before it ships?
Ask us and we will photograph it for you. This matters more with Tahitian than with any other pearl we sell, because nearly every strand and bracelet is one of a kind. Request photographs or a short video on any product page, at no cost and with no obligation to buy.
What size do Tahitian pearls come in?
Most fall between 8 and 13 mm, which is considerably larger than akoya, and larger pearls are produced occasionally. Price climbs steeply with size, because a bigger pearl needs a bigger mollusk and a longer stay in the lagoon, and fewer of both survive to harvest.
What clasps and findings do you use?
Solid gold throughout, 14K and 18K. Clasps, earring posts, pendant settings and ring mountings. Never gold-plated, never base metal. Any diamonds are natural.
What does the A to D grade mean?
It is French Polynesia's export grade and it covers surface and luster only. It does not grade color at all. A B-grade pearl with an extraordinary peacock overtone can be worth considerably more than an A-grade pearl with none, which is why we grade in house on AA+ and AAA and tell you what we are looking at rather than handing you a letter.
A few reviews from Tahitian customers
I wasn't sure about buying a pearl ring online, but my recent purchase of a Tahitian pearl ring from the Embrace collection was truly amazing. The simplicity of the design lets the beautiful blue of the pearl take center stage. The pearl is a perfect size to be noticed but not too large. I love my new ring!
Diana H.Beautiful round shape and the color silvery with peacock undertones is just perfect. I will have it set in a whire gold ring and I know it will look amazing.
Monique B.Subtle change between the colors but in the sun it's stunning! The bracelet sports a filigree clasp and colors may vary on your bracelet. Mine has quite a lot of lavender but I love it. Customer service is prompt and they're extremely helpful. I will definitely be purchasing more jewelry from here. Absolutely worth the price!
Jordan C.Still deciding?
Tahitian is the hardest pearl to buy from a photograph, because the color is the whole point and a screen flattens it. Our specialists will show you strands on camera. Most appointments run about twenty minutes.
