Selecting a Tahitian Pearl Necklace
If you are interested in purchasing a Tahitian pearl necklace, the nacre thickness should be the first thing you pay attention to. However, there are many other factors that affect the quality and price of the pearls you are buying. It is important to know these so you can choose the best necklace possible for your available budget.

Luster – a high quality Tahitian pearl will always have a beautiful luster, which refers to the pearl’s ability to reflect light. A pearl with a thick nacre will usually reflect light similar to that of a mirror, meaning you can see the reflection of things in the pearls. Tahitian pearls, because of their color, have a sheen with a slight resemblance to metal, and look much more like a mirror than a typical pearl. Basically, the thicker the nacre, the more brilliant the pearl’s luster, and the higher the cost of the Tahitian pearls.
Size – Similar to all types of precious stones, the larger the pearl, the more valued it is. Tahitian black pearls tend to be larger than most other types of pearls, ranging from about 7.5mm to 14mm. The size of Tahitian pearls is measured to the half millimeter, and the price difference goes up rapidly for every increase of 0.5mm. Tahitian black pearls can be found as big as 16mm to 18mm, although these are quite rare and very expensive.
Shape – When people think of the shape of a pearl, they tend to think of a perfect sphere. This is a large misconception, because only the best and most expensive pearls are close to a perfect sphere. The shape of pearls are broken down into a few categories: round, semi-round, semi-baroque, baroque, and ringed of circled. The shape of the pearls on Tahitian black necklaces are usually round or semi-round, because they look the best on a necklace.
Unique Uses for Tahitian Pearls
One of the greatest things about Tahitian pearls is the endless types of jewelry you can make. They can be found it all different shapes, sizes, and colors, so all you need is a little creativity, and you can make a truly unique piece of jewelry. Most people think of Tahitian pearls as a classic style jewelry, but with a little thought, it can become a whole lot more.
The best way to see this in real life is to check out the jewelry that different celebrities wear. They have the money to buy any Tahitian pearl they want, and are often looking for unique pieces of jewelry to wear, from necklaces to bracelets to broaches. The style of the jewelry is anywhere from classic to modern, and this is evident in the flashy hip hop jewelry that some celebrities are wearing.
Other unique uses for Tahitian pearls are small art objects. They often use baroque shaped pearls, and integrate them into a piece of art. Artists enjoy using Tahitian pearls, because the baroque pieces are often an odd shape, so their integration often leads to a very original piece of art.
Tahitian pearls also make for amazing photography. Again, the different colors and shapes, combined with the pearls overtones, lead to endless photo possibilities. Creative artists have used them as much more than jewelry, and with incredible results.
With a little bit of money and a lot of creativity, Tahitian pearls can be used for just about anything. The more people realize this, the more we will see new, original pieces of art.
Tahitian Pearl Shapes
The shape of black Tahitian pearls varies significantly, which is why the best Tahitian pearl necklaces are extremely costly. It is very expensive to get enough pearls that are nearly equal in size to create a necklace, and even more so if you are using Tahitian black pearls that are nearly perfect spheres. The pearls used to make a black Tahitian pearl necklace are usually round or semi-round, though Tahitian pearls can also be found in other shapes, namely semi-baroque, baroque, and ringed/circled.

Round – pearls that are considered round are nearly perfectly spherical, and when measured, only have a variation in diameter of 2%. Basically, they look perfect to the human eye. These are extremely rare, and therefore extremely expensive. To give you an idea of their rarity, only about 5% of a farmer´s crop of pearls are round pearls. However, keep in mind that of these 5%, there can be many that are flawed, and therefore not used. If you expect to buy a black pearl necklace with round pearls, be prepared to spend a lot of money.
Semi-Round – a Tahitian pearl necklace made with semi-round black pearls makes a great alternative to one with round pearls. It is far cheaper, and the pearls still appear to be nearly perfect spheres. The variation in diameter of semi-round pearls is between 2%-5%. This difference is slight, so must be measured.
Semi-Baroque – semi baroque pearls are not spherical, but are an equal shape on each side, meaning they have an axis of rotation. On each side of that axis, the shape is identical. These symmetrical pearls are broken down into four different shapes: drop (like a teardrop), button, pear, and oval. These stones are often used to make Tahitian pearl necklaces, either by themselves or combined with round or semi round pearls.
Baroque – baroque Tahitian pearls are asymmetrical pearls, and can be found in any random shape. It is difficult to find large numbers of them are identical, and for this reason, it is rare to find them used to make a necklace. They are more commonly used by artisans the make jewelry or pieces of art.
Ringed/Circled – ringed or circled pearls are an interesting display of nature. They make up around 30% of a Tahitian pearl harvest, but it is unknown why this is so common. A ringed Tahitian pearl has one of more rings or grooves that are perpendicular to the axis of rotation. They look like rings going around the pearl. These pearls often have more color hues than the other shapes of Tahitian pearls, and therefore can be very special.
Tahitian Pearl Necklace Colors
The color of a Tahitian pearl is something that makes it truly unique. When you hear the term “Tahitian black pearl” you are bound to think that the pearls are black. Although the most common color is a greenish-black color, there are many variations. In addition to the shape of the pearl, the color is the best way to find unique jewelry that is appealing to you. The color is what really sets apart one black Tahitian pearl necklace from another, and it is also what makes the necklace the most striking.

Essentially, the colors of Tahitian pearls are broken down into two categories – body color and overtones.
The body color is the dominant, “real” color of the pearl, meaning it is the most visible color of the pearl. Some of the possible body colors are black, silver, purple, gray, green, brown, yellow, blue, and aubergine.
The overtones are the colors that seem to appear on top of the body color, sort of like a second color. Tahitian pearls can have one or more overtones, but it is also possible that there are no overtones present. Possible overtone colors include purple, gold, blue, green, pink, and aubergine.
Tahitian pearls are given specific names names for the different combinations of body and overtone colors. Below is a chart with these names:
Peacock – green and black
Fly Wing – metallic green and silver
Rainbow – black, green, and pink or aubergine
Tahitian Gold – gold and black
Champagne – yellow or gold and grey
Aubergine – purple or deep pink
Pigeon Grey – grey and purple
Moon Grey – pale grey
Pistachio – grey and green
Lavender – silver or grey and blue
As you can see, there are a huge number of possible combinations, making it difficult to pair together a large number of Tahitian pearls. The rarest of all are Tahitian pearls are the ones that are completely pink, green, blue or gold. Necklaces are generally created with pearls of the same shape and color (although not always), so you can imagine how rare a Tahitian pearl necklace comprised of round golden Tahitian pearls would be. This also indicates how personalized Tahitian black pearls can be. There are so many different color combinations that each individual can pick out a Tahitian pearl necklace that is unique and special.