Top-quality pearls were the stars at Rio Pearl's Fall 2019 Auction amid a generally cautious business environment.

Jonathan Cheng, director of Rio Pearl, said the September sale was the “most difficult” to date, with lots across major categories including golden and white South Sea, and Tahitian pearls experiencing weak buyer interest. Consumers were likewise spending less, he added.

The market for high-quality pearls however remains strong although prices of some items in a variety of shapes and qualities dropped from last year.

The sale generated around US$4.6 million, with 745 of the 1,028 lots offered being sold. Rio Pearl presented 358,754 pearls weighing 154,873.27 momme.

The company sold 214,775 pieces of Tahitian black pearls, followed by Indonesian South Sea pearls (49,657), Australian South Sea pearls (48,356) and Myanmar South Sea pearls (45,966).

More than 150 companies participated. “We had the most diverse set of winners. Buyers were eager to see how the goods would be priced in this environment. Main buyers were from Japan, Hong Kong and China, along with a few European and US customers.”

Rio Pearl also partnered with Autore Pearls Pty Ltd, which provided large South Sea pearls of 11mm to 20mm ranging from top-range loose pearls to decent-quality strands.

“We started introducing more white South Sea pearl producers at our auctions to create a unique event where buyers can bid on high-quality white, gold and black pearls. We aim to provide an extensive pearl assortment to fulfil buyers' sourcing needs,” noted Cheng.

Rio Pearl's next auction is scheduled for November 23 to 26 in Hong Kong.