POE RAVA

Located in the Tuamotu Archipelago (French Polynesia), the Manihi atoll is the cradle of the Black Pearl of Tahiti. Adored by jewelers the world over, this unique gem is now at the heart of the island’s economy. But how did this pearl build its reputation?

Known as “Pearl Island”, Manihi owes its success to a certain Petero Tupana. The son of a mother-of-pearl diver, he saw his father risk his life by venturing into the depths of the ocean to collect the precious shells. Petero decided to exploit the resource in a different way. Learning Japanese know-how, he became the very first Polynesian pearl grafter, thus sealing the fate of the entire archipelago.

After an absence of ten years, his niece Sophia Nohotemora decided to return to the island of Manihi to piece together a formidable family story, inseparable from the history of pearl farming.