Let Luna Menta take you on a journey to a far flung paradise that is French Polynesia where the beauty of nature’s bounty lies under the Pacific Ocean in its unique Tahitian pearls.
Watch Deborah visiting the Champon Pearl Farm
For as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated by the South Pacific. The 118 islands of Tahiti represent an idyllic paradise to me.
The ocean, teeming with beautiful marine life, the vivid turquoise lagoons dotted with uninhabited motos (tiny flat islands), the sky piercing, moss green peaks of Bora Bora; French Polynesia is a heady combination of magic and mystery.
I knew this was where I wanted to source the pearls for my first Luna Menta collaboration.
I wanted the best and most beautiful pearls in the world, but without causing harm to the environment and not at the expense of the people who work in the industry.
While staying at Vahine private island, I was talking to the director Jean Marc about my mission to source the pearls and, after making a phone call, the next morning I was on a boat bound for Ta’aa Island and the Champon Pearl Farm.
The farm is ideally located in the Ta’aa Raiatea lagoon, which is famous for its exceptional pearl quality.
Because they are grown in open waters the oysters are in optimum health – in wine terms they are a ‘Grand Cru’.
The Champon pearl farm is a small family-run business. They pledge to have the lowest impact possible on the environment and have worked hard to develop sustainable production methods. One of the ways they do this is to limit the quantity of the oysters they breed so they don’t disturb the natural ecosystem of the lagoon.
