Robert Wan's Pearl Museum

We learned a great deal more about the Tahitian cultured pearl at the Robert Wan Pearl Museum. The exhibit includes displays of a pearl's development from fertilization to full growth three years later. Tahitian pearls are considered among the finest gems in the world, and, although often referred to as Black Pearls, are found in a variety of tones and rainbow of colors. Needless to say, several pearls made it back to New England later in our trip thanks to the assistance of Pierre at the Bora Bora gallery, who gave Stella a personal primer on Tahitian cultured pearls.

Everywhere we toured with Ruth we noticed that many folks were wearing a flower behind their ears, whether they were churchgoers or shopkeepers. Ruth explained the tradition of wearing the flower behind the left ear, the side of the body where the heart is situated, is to signify that their heart is engaged to someone. Tahitians wear a flower behind their right ear if they are "available." Stella and I made sure to wear ours behind our left ears!

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