Moana Gems is accredited by the Cook Islands Pearl Authority to carry the AVAIKI Cook Islands Pearls brand.

AVAIKI Cook Islands Pearls represent the best Cook Islands black pearls available in the world.  They are cultured primarily in the remote and pristine lagoon of Manihiki, with a population of just 350 people.  Each year pearl farmers and highly-skilled technicians work together to harvest black pearls selecting only the finest specimens to wear the AVAIKI brand.

The name AVAIKI comes from the spiritual and ancestral homeland of the Polynesian people from where all life began and from where the gifts of nature originate.
 

Rarity and Exclusivity

Only the highest-graded pearls earn the AVAIKI name. Under the stringent and consistent grading system applied by our grading experts, only the A, B and C graded pearls make the cut for the AVAIKI brand.
To be branded as an AVAIKI pearl, an individual specimen must spend at least 18 months in the water for the first seeding and at least 12 months for successive seedings.  This results in a thicker nacre on an AVAIKI Cook Islands pearl in comparison to other black pearls.

The thicker nacre makes the pearls last longer, makes them easier for jewellers to work with and gives them a more distinctive glowing lustre.  This makes the pearl a more beautiful, more durable and more desirable gem. 
 

Sustainability and Purity

Pearl farming is the lifeblood of the 1000 people who inhabit the three pearl-producing atolls of Manihiki, Rakahanga and Tongareva (Penrhyn).  These communities understand the importance of creating a sustainable industry to pass onto future generations.  The day-to-day farming practices that result in AVAIKI pearls are in keeping with the best environmental principles.  Everyone involved in the industry works to maintain a healthy lagoon, ensuring a pristine environment for producing the best-quality pearls for the years ahead.

AVAIKIpearls are entirely free of any chemical enhancements.  The colour and shape variations are naturally-occurring.  AVAIKI pearls are sourced only from AVAIKIaccredited farms which are regularly checked to verify that they are following an ecologically sound code of practice.