Pearl Farm on Apataki

Then there was the pearl farm.  I’ve wanted to see a pearl farm since our arrival here in the Tuamotus.  There was one in North Fakarava, but it was run by the hotel owner and looked pretty industrial.  I've read that some places charge for a tour.  I'll pay for pearls, but I don't want to pay for a tour.  So as we made our way up to this new anchorage (not an established anchorage or in any guides) we came through a minefield of buoys.  This must be a pearl farm and this is not likely a tourist trap!!  We've read that the majority of pearl farms have gone under due to excessive taxes by the French.  We've also read that the Chinese have entered the market thereby lowering the prices of pearls due to increased supply.  Not sure how reliable our sources are and we don't have Internet to check things for ourselves.  So our friends on Hotspur and we took the dinghy down and checked this place out.   It was just what I'd hoped for. 

This was a native Apataki extended family of approximately 20 employees working the farm.  There is a Chinese man who is the "big boss".  He's only been here for 5 years that I could understand, this farm is well established (more than anyone could do in 5 years), so I don't know if he bought a failing business or how he came here exactly.  This was beyond my French skills and maybe a little delicate to ask the internals of his business.  But the local family seemed happy and everyone was working.  This is a 200-hectare farm with buoys farther than the eye can see!!  We saw how they get new oysters by hanging black strands of stuff in the water near other oysters and baby oysters just glom onto it. 

After about 6 months, they bring them in, sort them (some types are not pearl producers), drill a small hole in them, tie plastic string to them and attach them to a line, protecting them in a plastic "cage" from predators.  Another 6-8 months, they are ready for making pearls.  They bring them in, drive a wedge into them, pry them slightly open, and place a white bead of something in them (again, beyond my French skills, maybe glass bead, maybe plastic, it was hard anyway).  Then they tie them onto a plastic netting for protection and put them out for a year.  After a year, they bring them in, harvest the pearls and place another bead into the sac (must be placed properly).  They can do this for about 3-4 times, then the oyster stops producing pearls.  At this point, when the pearl beads come back out white or minimally coated, they open the oysters and harvest the meat for sale.  They also appeared to be sacking the oyster shells. 

It was perfect to get to see every step of the operation as well as be able to ask questions as we went.  Then we went and saw the loads of final products.  They don't all turn out perfectly round and smooth.  The irregulars were actually my favorites I think.  You can't get those in stores, only here.

Shannon