The History Of Fiji Pearls

Fiji’s oceans have long fascinated travellers, as has the curious, colourful, and rare Fiji pearl. Unlike the white, black, and gold varieties often found in the South Pacific, Fiji’s small but spectacular pearl harvest is gloriously vivid. Champagne, cranberry, pistachio, peacock, and copper are just a few of the extraordinary hues to behold.

The exclusivity of Fiji’s pearls can be credited to its host, the Fijian pearl oyster, which requires pristine waters to flourish and has always been notoriously scarce. As a result, there are only a handful of pearl farms in Fiji and they must follow stringent environmental guidelines to produce results. The exclusivity of Fiji pearls has made them highly sought after.

The pearl cultivation process, developed by Japanese entrepreneur Mikimoto Kōkichi during the turn of the 19th century, is highly technical. The pearl nucleus is created by implanting a small pearl bead formed from mussel shells found only in the Mississippi River. The small beads are then inserted into saltwater oysters, which coat the implant with their own nacre (also known as mother-of-pearl), forming the lustrous outer coating. Ensuring that the oysters are not stressed during the implantation operation and can grow subsequent pearls is a delicate art. While a natural pearl can take 10-15 years to form, Mikimoto’s method shortens the cultivation period to about 18 months.

Rare with unique colours are what Fiji pearls are all about.