BLACK PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC

By
Giorgio Nardini
Photography By
ISLANDS - Travel & Lifestyle Magazine

In the heart of the Pacific Ocean, halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii, the tropical climate and warm hospitality welcome you in seductive Cook Islands, ideal for discovering the magic of Polynesia New Zealand. A unique archipelago, away from the more conventional routes, surrounded by calm turquoise waters, where to live a dream holiday to discover the rich cultural heritage Polynesian.

 

The most precious gift of these islands are the black pearls 'Avaiki', - whose name evokes a particular "spiritual homeland" from the deep cultural heritage - authentic pieces of completely natural art that represent the main export product. Originate in the clear depth of Manihiki Island, one of the oldest inhabited places in the world, 1,200 kilometres north of the capital Rarotonga, these pearls are harvested in a sustainable way through a complex practice that requires specific skills that are handed down from generation to generation.

 

The Avaiki pearls thrive in the clear waters of a wide lagoon full of nutrients whose variegated colours are captured and processed in a profusion of pearls in shades green, blue, purple and silver. The formation of pearl, that is also used to produce the line of beauty products TeTika, based bioactive oils regenerating effect on the skin, takes place inside the Pinctada Margaritifera, the most famous pearl oyster, that secretes naturally blacks pigments that give the pearl and the pearls produced by it their characteristic colour. Each year, the pearl farmers and their technicians will only collect a small amount of very high quality and, among these, only the best become Avaiki.

 

This is the story engraved in each individual pearl Avaiki, among the most extraordinary and rare in the world.

 

The synergy between the CIPA, the governmental authorities of the Cook Islands which deals with trade pearls mainly in Australia, USA and New Zealand, and the Office of the Cook Islands Tourism have created the Mini Expo Roadshow that, after Spain, crosses Italy from January 23 next in order to promote the pearls and other natural beauties of the destination. 7 will be the Italian cities on the tour (Milan, Bergamo, Bologna, Udine, Rome, Naples and Florence) that will allow some lucky jewelers, local designers and distributors to attend an unusual and unique black pearl exhibition "Avaiki". The exhibition will include, in addition to a selection of loose pearls and some works by local artists, a special collection created especially for the occasion by Nyami designers, composed of 12 pieces, divided into three categories - Vines of Rarotonga, Aitutaki of Corals , Night Pearls of Atiu - each representation of a natural characteristic of each of the three main islands.