Atlas Pearls Ltd has made significant strides in eco-pearling over the years. With buyers' call for more transparency, the company is committed to providing a clear and traceable value chain while promoting consumer and trade education.

Continuous growth hinges upon these three-pronged approach – people-planet-pearls – according to Pierre Fallourd, managing director of Atlas Pearls.

The company is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and with this comes the harvest of half a million pearls. Over the years, its production has steadily grown in volume and quality from 50,000 pearls in 2000.

“We're still very much focused on high-quality white and silver South Sea pearls of 10mm to 14mm in diameter whose popularity continues to drive demand and price,” noted Fallourd.

Faced with environmental challenges such as El Niño and La Niña, the company makes continuous adjustments in its operations to improve production while taking into consideration environmental protection.

Various new initiatives are also underway for the pearl expert, specifically in the area of supply chain transparency.

“The one thing that's progressively emerging right now is that younger customers don't only want modern jewellery designs. Their tastes are of course different from those of their parents but more importantly, the story behind the pearl has become as important as the virtues defining their value,” revealed Fallourd.

The company aims to reassure clients that the pearls they are purchasing were in the custody of Atlas Pearls throughout production and that these were produced using the most eco-friendly processes from the mother-of-pearl oyster to the end consumer.

This initiative is tied to education, where Atlas Pearls aims to reposition pearls as a rare gem from nature, and not a mere commodity item.

“How we educate our clients through the unique story that each farmer has is a challenge and a goal. If we tell that story properly and it gets to the right ears, the business becomes a lot more sustainable,” he added.