The Tahitian Pearl Association of French Polynesia (TPAFP) is launching a new campaign to reintroduce Tahitian pearls to local communities, with a special focus on the history of pearl shell fishing in Hikueru in 1912. This initiative offers a chance to rediscover mother-of-pearl, often called the “black gold of the atolls,” through vintage postcards depicting this fundamental Polynesian activity.
Mother-of-pearl played a vital role across the Eastern Pacific, serving not only as material for tools and ceremonial ornaments but also for crafting body adornments. Pearls extracted from pearl oysters were transformed into pendants and other valuable objects. The significance of pearl shell fishing became evident from the first encounters between islanders and Europeans, revealing ancestral expertise that has endured through centuries.
A report from 1863 provides a glimpse into the lives of Polynesian divers of that era, highlighting their remarkable agility and diving techniques. These divers—primarily from local families—could reach impressive depths of 25 to 30 meters in the Tuamotu lagoons to retrieve oysters, which were then consumed or sold to traders. This knowledge was passed down through generations, fostering a symbiotic relationship with the ocean.
By the 19th century, South Seas trade flourished, with mother-of-pearl standing alongside whale oil, copra, and fruit as prized commodities. As early as 1820, Polynesian mother-of-pearl was sought after in major European cities, where it was crafted into diverse objects like fans, jewelry boxes, dice, dominoes, and buttons—all in high demand.
Pearl oyster harvesting in Polynesian lagoons evolved rapidly, with fishermen increasingly specializing in collecting large specimens. Tuamotu divers gained worldwide recognition for their skill in gathering oysters from sometimes extreme depths. However, intensive exploitation by traffickers and pearl companies—lasting until the 1950s—depleted natural resources in some of the richest areas.
The introduction of diving suits in the 1880s and the first diving goggles in 1908 modernized fishing techniques. The required diving depths to extract shells from coral beds gradually increased, making pearl shell fishing ever more technical and complex. Polynesia’s richest deposits were identified and exploited on a large scale starting in the 1850s, marking a turning point in the region’s pearl cultivation history.
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