The Gambier Archipelago is considered to be the cradle of the legendary black pearl. In this huge lagoon, the Mangarevians have been diving here for a long time to harvest the pintada margaritifera, a variety of oysters that produce exceptional mother-of-pearl. Since the 1960s, these oysters have been raised on pearl farms. By introducing inside the oyster a small ball, it secretes all around this foreign body several layers of mother-of-pearl, which constitutes a pearl.