This article first appeared in the Pearl Report 2023-2024.

Finding a golden South Sea pearl that exhibits mesmerising streaks of red, pink and green was one in a million, so to speak. But Rio Pearl of Hong Kong – armed with an innovative spirit and a passion for perfection – has altered this reality.

According to Rio Pearl Director Jonathan Cheng, the company suffered a setback about six years ago when pearls produced at its Mergui farm in Myanmar would turn out lighter in colour than the coveted vivid gold hue. This was the first time the company experienced a significant drop in the quality of its production since it started cultivating South Sea pearls in 2011.

Seeing opportunities in challenges, Cheng, together with co-director of Rio Pearl Terence Lee, set out to find ingenious solutions.

Breakthrough

It took a great deal of research, tests and revamps in procedures over the course of three years to make significant changes, but hard work does pay off. Around the year 2020, the company started seeing results.

“We knew we were on the right track,” remarked Cheng. At the time, Rio Pearl pushed the envelope of innovation even further. It can now produce more shells and be more selective of the oysters to use. It also enhanced decades-old grafting techniques and introduced new cultivation technology.

Creating more oysters, however, entailed additional costs, but at the time, Cheng and Lee were bent on creating a product that could potentially revolutionise the South Sea pearl sector.

Cheng noted, “We did not think about the cost. We just wanted to make something great. With the way that we breed and select the mother oyster, we are creating a bigger, better and stronger family line for these oysters.”

Rainbow Gold

Buyers at Rio Pearl’s auctions in August 2023 in Hong Kong and China were introduced to a sea of enchanting golden pearls displaying resplendent shades of red, pink and green. They were Rio Pearl’s game-changing Rainbow Gold.

A naturally occurring variant of golden South Sea pearls, Rainbow Gold would occasionally appear in Rio Pearl’s harvests in miniscule proportions, revealed Cheng, but being able to produce entire lots of such top-quality pearls is a feat never before achieved by any pearl producer in Myanmar.

“In every 200 or 300 pieces, there would be three or four of these rainbow pearls. The more our harvest improved, the more these magnificent pearls emerged,” noted Cheng. “The breakthrough was finding a way to produce entire lots of 300 pieces compared with 1 per cent of our production in the past.”

Cheng described the pearls’ radiant multicolour appearance as akin to the beloved peacock colour range for Tahitian pearls, only rarer.

Rainbow Gold is captivating more and more buyers in the pearl trade, mainland Chinese buyers in particular. At its August 2023 auctions, Rio Pearl offered whole lots dedicated to Rainbow Gold – 14 lots out of 52 during the first tender on August 4, and 16 lots out of 67 during the second tender on August 5 – comprising a good portion of the company’s goods.

“Prices at the auction indicate how people view Rainbow Gold positively. People are paying a premium to be able to get their hands on these lots,” added Cheng. “Clients love it, and we need to think of how we can make more of it.”