Tahiti…island of inspiration for Gaugin…cradle of birth for the
pearl industry. Let’s go back in time a bit…and then further back
again. The year…1778. A ship sets out to explore Alaska. It’s
captain is a tall, blue-eyed man…blunt in manner and kind His name
is James Cook. He has the admiration and loyalty of his crew. The
name of the ship is The Resolution…and the name of its second in
command is Captain William Bligh…the man who would one day command
a ship named The Bounty…starring–of course–Humphry Bogart…for
those of you who like non sequiturs. That said…we now go back again
in time… for this tale of black pearls belongs to the captain of the
Resolution.
The year…1769. Captain James Cook arrives in Tahiti for the first
time. Gaugin was not due to arrive for another hundred years or so.
The natives of this island paradise were not especially enamored with
pearls. They preferred the iridescence of mother-of-pearl from the
oyster shell. It was prettier. It was here, however, in Tahiti, that
the pearl industry had its beginnings. Ship captains became rich
through pearl trading till the Tahitian government stepped in to
regulate the industry.
And so now we segue to an oyster called the Pinctada Margaritifera of
the waters of French Polynesia. This is the oyster that produces the
black pearl…a rare and singular gem that takes its coloring from the
edge of the black-lipped oyster shell. Generally speaking, Tahiti
only produces black pearls in the 9.0 to 11.0 millimeter size. I,
however, am going to be showing you an exceptional triple strand of
black pearls valued at over $500,000. The sizes range from 12.0
millimeters to 15.0 millimeters. The sizes are extraordinary. The
strands are perfectly matched. The clasp is of platinum pav� set with
diamonds.
I don’t know who it belongs to. I don’t know from whence it comes. But
it’s a stunner folks…especially for those of you who have never
seen natural black pearls. It’s worth a look. It’s the adventurers of
the world…the seekers of new lands–Bligh not- withstanding…who
bring us new beauty. Imagine what we’ll see when space travel is a
common everyday thing.
Before I leave you…may I wish you all a very happy holiday…and a
most wondrous New Year.
For those of you who are new to this thing called Tidbits…may I
direct you to my home page at www.tyler-adam.com where you will
scroll down the table menu till you get to the box that says
Tidbits…and inside the box where it says Tidbit Graphics…click on
the link that says: Black Pearls…where you will see the graphic of
our ebony strands.
And there ya have it. That’s it for this week folks. Catch you all next
week. Benjamin Mark
TYLER-ADAM CORP.–Jewelry Manufacturers
Tel: 1-800-20-TYLER
E-Mail to: webmaster@tyler-adam.com