Tahiti and the Black Pearl
Tahiti has become the symbol of the right to dream and to imagination. The first contact with the Polynesian islands is marked by fascination, and those who love nature never cease to be moved and amazed. These islands are like a truly loved being, being in their presence only reinforces the feeling.
What is this country that is worthy of so much amazement and permanent light? It has been nicknamed "Paradise", as if it embodied the pinnacle of what the human imagination can create in terms of happiness. And indeed, paradise is always there, hovering like a supernatural smile in the colors of the lagoon and sky, the cutouts of the mountains, the lush vegetation, the transparencies and irisations. A world of peace, harmony, and well-being.
When one arrives in Tahiti, despite the flower necklace and the smile of friends, one may be surprised by the modern constructions, added haphazardly due to development. One must access the lagoon or the mountain waterfalls in order not to lose one's exotic dream.
For it is not a matter of losing it: it is not outdated, overused, or simply touristy. Polynesian magic still exists on the surface, everywhere where the gaze knows how to open to the joy of living, in the flowers, in the landscapes, in this invisible vibrating wave that bathes everything and everyone, provided one surrenders to it.
By attuning one's soul to the rhythm of the Polynesian soul, one feels an unknown joy of living rise within, a telluric and solar force at the same time. With Polynesia, one has the right to prioritize the dream over reality, to make the natural triumph over established order, the spontaneous over the conventional, the initiatory over the habitual. Each person takes only what they can and what they want within the context of their personal history.
But the polarities are inverted and the door opens. We can thank the Polynesian islands for existing, because they are a materialized passage that leads to the most immaterial aspects of ourselves, no longer quite terrestrial, already celestial. Polynesia is a jewel on the planet: a pearl, the pearl of the Pacific.
And Polynesia gives birth in the heart of its waves to another jewel that is still too little known: the wonderful black pearl, with blue, green, eggplant, pink, and silver reflections. Whether natural pearl or fine pearl appearing, as if by miracle, every ten thousand mother-of-pearls, it has become a cultured pearl, lovingly produced in the purest lagoons, the clearest waters. Its beauty, its color, its velvet, its softness, in turn symbolize Polynesia, its women and its art of living. On the commercial level, they have become the top export product, an important element of economic independence.
For the Polynesia of ancient times, the pearl did not have this importance. A few women wore them as ear pendants, but it was mainly mother-of-pearl that was adopted for adornment as well as for the everyday uses of fishing and cooking. Too rare, the pearl was not a social phenomenon. Since 1970 everything has changed. Dozens of luxury shops compete with the presentation of beautiful black pearls mounted in jewelry.
Thousands of black pearls, of exceptional value, go to Japan and America. Of course, the production in quantity is minimal compared to the white pearl, but at the level of quality, the perfection of form, color, thickness of its mother-of-pearl, and diameter, the black pearl is incomparable, unique. This wonder of nature is still little known today outside of professionals, but it is only a matter of time: women can already discover it in Paris and New York. In the context of haute couture and high-end jewelry, the black pearl magically corresponds to our time, perhaps more so than the classic and pure white pearl.
Tomorrow, all women will know and desire it, just like the white pearl. Tomorrow, the term black pearl will be associated with Tahiti. And when we know the spiritual and legendary attributes of the pearl, we can only be happy about this alliance. The pearl signifies perfection, mystical realization, and a country placed under this sign can benefit from a happy influence. However, it is important to maintain the balance between the monetary value and the spiritual value in order to not succumb to the sole lure of profit, to the sole commercial value.
The happiest possessors of a rare pearl often made it an object of contemplation, of meditation, according to a silent ritual. We wish that so many wonderful pearls produced in this country bring it a beneficial vibration and invite it to perpetuate this mystical surge that is at the heart of the Polynesian soul. Discovering the black pearl is, above all, for us, discovering an aspect of the beauty of the universe.
The birth of the pearl will be both legendary and scientific. The history of pearl culture will speak of the past, the places and people, the way in which daring pioneers established themselves in lost atolls to "make pearls." Small historical reminders will show the madness of men and women for pearls. And the magic of the pearl will take you into the mysteries of its powers and its spiritual belonging.
