Creating Black Pearls
At the small island of Motu Mahana we visited the Motu Pearl Farm, where pearl oysters are “seeded” with a nucleus of crushed shell and flesh from Mississippi River black-lip clams that are specially grown for this purpose. Pearl seeding technicians, called grafting technicians, are highly skilled. The best can earn more than a million dollars a year.
The technicians work on a grafting platform (right), a wood structure built to provide shade and protection. We were able to watch grafting in progress. Using a pair of pliers, the technician opens the pearl oyster to be seeded, then inserts the nucleus. The technique was invented in the early 20th century, established in Japan, and then spread throughout the South Pacific.
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