Tahitian and South Sea Pearls

[Palawan_sg]

Hi All

I have a question, is Tahitian classified as south sea pearl too ?

 

[ennui]

I think so ...
"Tahitian Pearls come from the warm waters of the South Seas and are grown in a Black-Lipped oyster."

However, I'm not sure anyone calls them 'black South Sea pearls.' They're Tahitians.

 

[Pirard]

I don't believe the FTC make a distinction between Tahitian and South Sea pearls. In other words, from a regulatory standpoint, a South Sea pearl is defined, a Tahitian is not. Here is the regulatory language: (g) It is unfair or deceptive to use the term “South Sea pearl” unless it describes, identifies, or refers to a pearl that is taken from a salt water mollusk of the Pacific Ocean South Sea Islands, Australia, or Southeast Asia. It is unfair or deceptive to use the term “South Sea cultured pearl” unless it describes, identifies, or refers to a cultured pearl formed in a salt water mollusk of the Pacific Ocean South Sea Islands, Australia, or Southeast Asia.


And here is the citation:http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=4c852d7671ce99814dc9886436c8bf7a&node=se16.1.23_120&rgn=div8

 

[NacreLover]

Only Black South Sea pearls from French Polynesia are called Tahitians. If they are grown in other areas they are called Black South Sea pearls. See Justin Hunter's farm in Fiji.
http://www.fijipearls.com/justin-hunter/

 

[ennui]

Only Black South Sea pearls from French Polynesia are called Tahitians. If they are grown in other areas they are called Black South Sea pearls. See Justin Hunter's farm in Fiji.
http://www.fijipearls.com/justin-hunter/

Are they subject to the same quality control standards as the Tahitians? Nacre thickness, etc.?
I learned something today, and it's still early.