Tahitian vs South Sea Pearls: Difference and Comparison

Authentic pearl jewelry is very rare to find. Tahitian and South Sea Pearls are very rare as they are made from oyster shells. They won’t be available in normal jewelry shops.

They are very expensive as well because of the cultured type. Some small tests can easily find the authenticity of the pearls, and specialists can find it with the help of a special magnifying glass.

Key Takeaways

1. Tahitian pearls are produced by black-lip oysters in French Polynesia, while silver-lip oysters in Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines produce South Sea pearls.
2. Tahitian pearls have a range of natural colors, including black, gray, and green, while South Sea pearls are white or golden.
3. Tahitian pearls are smaller in size than South Sea pearls.

Tahitian vs South Sea Pearls

The difference between Tahitian and South Sea Pearls is that Tahitian Pearls are found along the coasts of Tahiti. South Sea Pearls are found along the coast of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Tahitian Pearls are considered to be very precious when they are authentic. Good South Sea Pearls help in controlling the feelings of humans, and they can also boost their memory power. 

Tahitian pearls are saltwater pearls. They are black in color because of the sand that is stuck inside the body of the specific type of oyster. Maintaining Tahitian pearls is not a difficult task.

They are asked to be worn for a specific period so that they can be hydrated in direct contact with the skin. You need to wipe the pearls with a soft cloth to preserve their beauty and gloss. 

South Sea pearls are one of the market’s largest gemstones, making them both rare and valuable. They have unique luster quality and have a soft reflection in them due to aragonite platelets.

These factors make them very distinct and valuable. Sometimes, you might see a fish bite at the right earring. But it will not be visible when you wear the earring with their side down. 

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Tahitian Pearls	South Sea Pearls
Size	13 mm	15 mm
Thickness range	2 to 3 mm	2 to 6 mm
Advantages	The authentic ones are exotic and precious.	They will control the feelings and boost the memory power.
Found in	They come from the coasts of Tahiti.	They are found in the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Color	They are black in color	The color ranges from creamy champagne to pink

What are Tahitian Pearls?

It is an organic gem. It is created by black lip oysters. They have a wide color ranging from white to black. It got its name as Tahiti because they are found around French Polynesia islands.

The darker variety of pearls is considered to be the most valuable ones. Tahitian Pearls are considered one of the most beautiful in the world. The good thing about using Tahitian pearls is they have an oyster inside them.

This oyster will grow quite large; when weighed, it will weigh as much as ten pounds. They are also called black pearls because of their darker hues.

Tahitian pearls can yield a gem-quality rating of AAA. They are considered to be one of the best pearls in the industry. It is also considered to be one of the highest qualities you can get.

They are very rare to find, so they are quite expensive. When you store Tahitian pearls, you should store them in a separate container because if some other jewelry comes in contact, they will get scratched.

Also, a strong bump can easily damage the pearls on the ring. Like the color of the Tahitian pearl, their luster is also natural. 

What are South Sea Pearls?

South Sea pearls are cultured using a large white-lipped oyster. They are selected from the waters of the south pacific by hand. The oyster size will be twice the size of the Akoya pearl oyster so that they produce very large pearls.

They are whitish and silver in color, making them exceptionally good in quality. They are very larger than the average pearl, and their smoothness and roundness are exceptional. It will not be available in all the jewelry shops.

They are very rare to find in jewelry shops. Only a few jewelry shops will have them at the store. They are expensive because they are most likely to be cultivated.

This is the reason behind the limited number of south sea pearl farms. A pearl can be identified if it’s a south sea pearl or not by a common tooth test. All you need to do is rub the pearl on your tooth. If the pearl is cultured, you will feel it is gritty.

If the pearl is faux, you will feel the surface smooth. Specialists can easily tell whether they are fake or real by observing them under a magnifier.

The color of the south sea pearls will be determined by the region where they are cultivated. The best color of the south sea pearl is white. They are always perfectly round in color.

Sometimes they will be gold in color because of the golden nacre on the interior of the shell. 

Main Differences Between Tahitian and South Sea Pearls

1. The size of the Tahitian Pearl is 13 mm. On the other hand, the size of the South Sea Pearls is 15 mm.
2. The thickness of the Tahitian Pearl ranges from 2 to 3 mm. On the other hand, the thickness of the South Sea Pearls ranges from 2 to 6 mm.
3. Authentic Tahitian Pearls are considered to be very exotic and precious. On the other hand, South Sea Pearls will help in controlling feelings and also boost memory power.
4. Tahitian Pearls come from the coasts of Tahiti. On the other hand, South Sea Pearls come from India and the Pacific Oceans.
5. The color of the Tahitian Pearl is black. On the other hand, the color of South Sea Pearl ranges from creamy champagne to pink.

References

1. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=SzkhMsW7Q14C&oi=fnd&pg=PA357&dq=Difference+Between+Tahitian+and+South+Sea+Pearls&ots=5835XKPrzc&sig=EAdrQNtdAqnFfd_ISrh4Uxt2Vrs
2. https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/55102/

Last Updated : 27 June, 2023