Color

As farmers we are always striving for the most perfect, colorful pearls we can produce. What buyers need to understand is that color is the most variable part of Tahitian pearls. It can be very difficult (especially for small producers like us) to have batches of near identical colors. Even earring matches take large lots to make and matched necklaces can take years' worth of harvests. The flashiest colors are the most rare and thus are also the most valuable.

In general we describe our colors as light, mid-tone or dark. Whites are rare as are the blackest black. The main description will name the main body color, the most common being silver, green, aubergine, blue or pink.

Many Tahitian pearls have overtones, which are like a semi-sheer layer of another hue over the body color, and what we at Kamoka call heart tones, that display at the center of a pearl. The more colors a pearl exhibits, the more complex it is. While a single color pearl can be exceptionally beautiful, the multiple tone ones are flashier. Both types sell well and are a matter of personal taste.

Luster

Luster heavily influences quality. If you have a 18mm round, green pearl that doesn't shine, you don't have anything to get excited about. The finest pearls will have a liquid-like aspect to them with the layers glowing from within, like out of a bowl of water. It's more than shine. Luster is what makes a pearl look alive.