How a beautiful pearl comes to life

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Black pearls are formed when a piece of shell gets stuck in the body of a very specific type of oyster, the Tahitian blacklipped Pinctada margaritifera. The interior shell, called the nacre, of most oysters is usually a glossy white or silver but the Tahitian black-lipped oyster features a thick band of black. If the pearl forms near that band, it will suck up that colouring.

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Tahitian black-lipped pearls can be darker if they develop closer to the lips, and can also be a silvery grey colour if they get wedged in a lighter portion of the oyster.