Historical and Cultural

Historical

The 118 islands of French Polynesia were born from volcanoes some 20 million years ago. The islands in the Society, Marquesas, Austral and Gambier Island groups remained high islands, while the islands of the Tuamotu Islands group became atolls. Atolls are islands that have long since sunk below the ocean surface, leaving only the barrier reef. The total land area of the islands is equivalent to the total area of Europe.

The remoteness of the islands of Polynesia kept the people insulated from the rest of the world until European world travel began in the 1700's. Polynesian origins are believed to be in the area of Southeast Asia, more precisely the eastern area of Indonesia or the Philippines some 4,000 years ago. The early Polynesians were master navigators. Their migrations took them through Melanesia to the eastern edge of Polynesia. The Polynesians settled in Polynesia between 1000 BC and 1000 AD. Polynesia is roughly described as the "triangle" with the northern point in the islands of Hawai'i, the southeast at Easter Island, and to the southwest at New Zealand.

Spanish explorers discovered the Marquesas Islands in 1595. However, true contact between the Polynesians and European explorers did not begin until the discovery of Tahiti by the Englishman Wallis in 1767. These contacts resulted in an upheaval of the economic and social structure of the Polynesians. The Christianization by Protestant and Catholic missionaries resulted in the abandonment of traditional religious practices and places of worship, "marae".

After decades of rivalries between Britain and France over the ownership of the islands of Tahiti, France declared the islands as a protectorate in 1843. In 1944, the islands were declared to be an overseas territory of France.

Additional autonomy was granted in 1996 and 1998. Today, French Polynesia is largely responsible for its own affairs, with some responsibilities remaining with France, such as currency and defense.

Culture

The Tahitians of the modern era maintain their heritage and traditions of their Maohi ancestors. Oral history recounts the adventures of gods and warriors in colorful legends where javelin throwing was the sport of the gods, surf riding was favored by the kings, and Aito strongmen competed in outrigger canoe races and stone lifting as a show of pure strength.

Marae

The open-air sanctuaries called marae were once the center of power in ancient Polynesia. These large, stone structures, akin to temples, hosted the important events of the times including the worship of the gods, peace treaties, celebrations of war, and the launch of voyages to colonize distant lands.

Heiva i Tahiti

In celebration of ancient traditions and competitions, the annual Heiva festival has been the most important event in Tahiti for the past 122 years. For visitors, there is no better place in the world to be during July than surrounded by this pure display of Polynesian festivity. Tahitians gather in Papeete from many islands to display their crafts, compete in ancient sporting events, and recreate traditional and elaborate dance performances.

Tattoo

The word tattoo originated in Tahiti. The legend of Tohu, the god of tattoo, describes painting all the oceans’ fish in beautiful colors and patterns. In Polynesian culture, tattoos have long been considered signs of beauty, and in earlier times were ceremoniously applied when reaching adolescence.

Music and Dance

The beauty, drama, and power of today’s Tahitian dance testify to its resilience in Polynesian culture. In ancient times, dances were directly linked with all aspects of life. One would dance for joy, to welcome a visitor, to pray to a god, to challenge an enemy, and to seduce a mate. Dance is still accompanied by traditional musical instruments such as thunderous drums, conch shells, and harmonic nasal flutes. Modern Tahitian music is enjoyable as well, with a sound that often blends Polynesian rhythm and Western melody.

Handcrafts

The skills of the ancestors’ artistry are kept sacred and passed on by both the “mamas,” the guardians of tradition and the matriarchs of Tahitian society as well as by skilled craftsmen. Items include weaving, quilting, wooden sculptures and bowls, drums, tapa, carvings, and hand-dyed pareu.

Canoes

Centuries before the Europeans concluded that the earth was round, the great voyagers of Polynesia had already mastered the Pacific Ocean. Aboard massive, double-hulled outrigger canoes called tipairua, they navigated by stars and winds. Today, the canoe still plays a role in everyday Tahitian life and is honored in colorful races and festivals throughout the islands.

Flowers

Tropical flowers seem to be everywhere on the islands, particularly in the hair of Tahitians. Hibiscus blossoms are worn behind the ear or braided with palm fronds into floral crowns. The Tiare Tahiti flower is used in leis for greeting arriving visitors and returning family. Tradition holds that, if taken, women and men wear a flower behind their left ear.

Defining the Tahitian Cultured Pearl

Just how does one go about defining the "Tahitian Cultured Pearl"? For the average "pearl ignorant" shopper, the answer is not as definitive as one might assume...

In fact, over time, thousands of different words and descriptions have been applied to the famous pearls from Tahiti.

"Natural expressions of art", or "historic and vital aspects of Tahitian culture" are but a few of many possible descriptions, but in "official terms", the French Polynesian trade association GIE Tahiti Pearls has some specific guidelines and criteria that apply to the term "Tahitian cultured pearl".

The first is that the term "Tahiti Cultured Pearl" is reserved exclusively for cultured pearls obtained from grafting the locally cultivated Pinctada Margaritifera pearl oyster species.

In fact, Tahiti cultured pearls are pearl concretions that are secreted inside the black-lipped Pinctada Margaritifera species of pearl oysters cultivated mainly in the lagoons of French Polynesia. They consist of thick pearly layers containing organic substances and calcium carbonate in the form of aragonite.

Second is that the pearls must have a continuous pearly layer over at least 80% of their surface and not reveal either the nucleus or the seed of the nucleus.  The pearls are characterized by a diversity of shapes, diameters, qualities and several shades of natural colors ranging from pale gray to anthracite black.

Any other merchandise that does not satisfy such criteria may not "officially" be called a "Tahiti Cultured Pearl" (according to GIE Tahiti Pearls) and will be deemed a rejected pearl.

Rejected pearls official criteria:

- pearls whose milky loss of normal pigmentation marks over more than 20% of its surface
- pearls with no luster, resulting in a dull surface
- pearls with deep imperfections on more than half of their surface
- pearls with both deep and light imperfections on more than half of their surface.