A Black Pearl Valentine Gift for Him and Her

Dark, smouldering, deep - the black pearl - is it right for your sweetheart? If your Valentine is deep and sensuous, dark and mysterious, sultry and exotic, or if your Valentine is a lover of symbolism, poetry, mythology and beauty, then a black pearl gift is perfect.

Overflow with generosity - choose a theme of gifts - all so different but yet, all related. The Black Pearl.

Whether you're looking for Valentine's Day ideas for boyfriend or girlfriend, I've put together a treasure chest of black pearl Valentine gifts for him and for her. Say 'I Love You' with a black pearl Valentine gift.

Buy your Valentine a black pearl necklace, earrings or other gorgeous gifts of jewelry, but why not team it up with a black pearl book of poetry, or a black pearl steamy novel, and then wow them with a black pearl poster? Make a black pearl dinner or take them to the Black Pearl restaurant. Gift-wrap this up with black pearl beauty products to give your Valentine a smoulderingly dark shimmer and gleam and there you have it! Who could possibly resist this black pearl love affaire?

And why do we love them?

Black pearls are rare and precious things. Before human intervention, black pearls were largely, but rarely, produced by the black pearl oyster, Pinctada margaritifera, which flourishes around Tahiti and other Pacific Islands. White pearl oysters can produce naturally black pearls but that is also a rare occasion.

Black pearls, though, are not black. They come in a lustrous dark rainbow of dusky colours: greens, purples, blues, greys, silvers and irridescent peacock tail cocktails of colour.

See black pearls through a glass darkly.

There's a story told by the people of the Polynesian islands about the origins of the black pearl. They told of the god, Ono, the god of peace and fertility, who came to earth on a rainbow carrying the black pearl oyster. He offered this oyster, with it's dark pearl inside, to the Princess of Bora Bora as a sign of his eternal love.

Peacocks and rainbows; there's more to black pearls than just black!

Oysters are famously said to be aphrodisiacs, so why not add a black pearl oyster knife to his Valentines Day treasure trove gift? Buy a box of oysters and let him prize them open. You never know, in one of them you might find your own black pearl!

You'll never know if you're going to find a pearl inside!

Casanova, the famous Italian seducer of women, believed that oysters were aphrodisiacs and it was said that he consumed fifty each day for breakfast. In the 6th volume of his memoirs he gives this sensual account of how he liked to serve oysters, "I placed the shell on the edge of her lips and after a good deal of laughing, she sucked in the oyster, which she held between her lips. I instantly recovered it by placing my lips on hers.'

We all know that aphrodisiacs are the foods of love, and oysters are famously counted as one, but what exactly are they, and, more to the point, do they work?

The word, aphrodisiac, comes from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sexuality and love and people have long attributed certain foods and drinks the properties of stimulating erotic desire and, sometime even performance.

Do they work though? Sadly, probably not, but it's worth a try anyway as oysters are delicious in the mouth and love is, when all said and done, all in the mind.

Image: Aphrodite by soham_pablo Courtesy of Flickr

.....is through his stomach! We all know this to be true so why not follow those oysters with a black pearl Valentine meal? Use these black pearl foods to prepare a romantic black pearl dinner at home.

And if you're a guy looking for inspiration for a Valentine gift for her, I'll tell you a secret - it's the way to a woman's heart too!

This Black Pearl restaurant may not be near you, but with any luck you'll find one with a pearl in the name, or at least one that is evocative of the exotic warmth of the south seas with fragrant food and sumptuous spices.

Catch up with Gordon Ramsey and more UK chefs here: 101 Cookbooks by the UK Celebrity Chef

Give him a breath of fresh air with this model of a sailing ship. Something so satisfying about sailing ships and the sea.

This is a book that you can buy for him and then read yourself! The Black Pearl in this story is a powerful symbol. Found by a poor fisherman, the pearl is described as, "clear and beautiful, rich and warm and lovely, glowing and gloating and triumphant." But it soon becomes obvious that this most valuable find will not bring prosperity and happiness.

I've been completely sexist here, so whether you're looking for a gift for him or her, consider buying one of these deliciously edible plants.

The chilli will definitely give your Valentine the hots and, who knows, you could be cooking the fruits for a hot Valentines date next Valentine's Day!

I've put the Black Pearl shrubs and flowers under Valentine gifts for her. Guys like plants and flowers too.

• Capsicum annuum 'Black Pearl' A chilli plant with glossy black leaves and black pearls of fruit that mature to a rich red. Ornamental and culinary. Perfect for a hot Valentine
• Fourberry Black Pearl, bred from Ribes aureum, or the golden currant

So many ways ......... but these black pearl sets are certainly one of the best. Aren't they lovely? The pearls that come with a box lined with white silk, suggestive of oysters; soft and creamy.

Opening this box will be just like opening an oyster and finding that longed for black pearl inside. I've chosen sets of black pearls because it's so elegant to wear matching earrings, necklaces and bracelets of this understated and natural ornament. Mixing and matching might be fun sometimes but often it's best to keep it pure and simple.

Another stunning combination is black pearls and white diamonds. Brilliant bling combined with subtle lustre. There are many to choose from online, but the one below is one of my favourites.

Of course you can also read these too! Follow the story of the Morland family. This book takes place in 1659 during the last of the bleak years of Cromwell's Protectorate

Other black pearl books she might enjoy:

• Black Pearls: Blues Queens of the 1920s

  by Professor Daphne Harrison

  Throughout the 1920s black American women sang the blues. This book takes a look at the subjects and texts of their songs, the price these performers paid for their fame and music.

• A String of Black Pearls

  by David Hosford

  'A String of Black Pearls' is the first collection of poetry by David Hosford: a 'landscape of the soul'

• Black Pearls: Servants in the Household of the Bab and Baha'U'Llah

  by Abul-Qasim Afnan

  The intimate stories of the black believers who served the families of the Bab and Bahaullah from the earliest days of the Faith.

• The Black Pearl (Arabesque) - by Francine Craft

Does she enjoy a good old-fashioned bodice ripper? Sensual dreams lead Katherine Keyes to throw caution to the wind ...

Black pearl nail varnish - Earthly Delights Black Pearl S74208 Savina Nail Polish

So dark and so sensually pearly. A fun and daring, dark and Gothic-with-a-twist and oh so chic nail polish.

Posh polish. Perfect!

Incandescent, scented, lustrous, nourishing, moisturising. All the beauty of the sea.

I've also found black pearl eyeshadow on Amazon.com "Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Glimpse Black Pearl"

Yo-Yo (Yolanda Whittaker born 1971), is an American rapper and actress and much of her music promotes the empowerment of women. Her first appearance was on Ice Cube's AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted album in 1990. In turn, Ice Cube appeared on "You Can't Play with My Yo-Yo," which was on Yo-Yo's 1991 debut album, Make Way for the Motherlode. This was followed up with Black Pearl in 1992, optimistic and upbeat, it was well-received by critics but proved to appeal to the gourmet audience.

This is guaranteed to make me go weak at the knees and should get your Valentine in the mood for love.

I've given her the ornamentals

• Amaryllis Black Pearl These fabulous, dark, velvety red plants are perfect for Valentine's Day
• Loropetalum Black Pearl (Chinese Fringe Flower) compact, evergreen shrub with purple leaves and deep pink flowers
• EUPHORBIA characias 'Black Pearl', a perennial plant with green flowers with black eyes
• Image: Sorry, not 'Black Pearl' but just my red Amaryllis

There is nothing more beautiful and exotic than an amaryllis flower. Easy to grow, beautiful to behold and gives weeks of pleasure! For more ideas on growing bulbs indoors over winter read: Decorate Your Winter Home with Winter Bulbs and Flowers