This article first appeared in the JNA November/December 2024 issue.

Have you ever wondered how pearls are produced and how they become the radiant gems that you love? Visitors to Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong (JGW) last September 2024 witnessed the pearl’s enticing journey at “Orient Odyssey: From Shell To Market – The Fascinating Life Of Pearls,” an immersive exhibit by Informa’s Jewellery & Gem Knowledge Community.

The show floor attraction was located at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre section of JGW.

Showcasing the process by which the humble pearl oyster produces nature’s perfect gem, the curated exhibit took visitors through 12 visually stimulating and thought-provoking sections – from the history and lore of pearls to classification, origins, harvesting and treatments, grading, novel fashioning of pearls, styling and more.

Highlights of the exhibit included live demonstrations of pearls being delicately extracted from pearl oysters, sessions on pearl jewellery styling by designer Rosemary Chung and demonstrations of pearl faceting techniques by renowned gemstone artist Victor Tuzlukov.

Pearl facetting as an art requires dedication and precision, Tuzlukov explained. “If you can cut soft stones like calcite or sphalerite, you can also cut pearls,” the gem artist remarked. “If you want to create a real masterpiece, you should be very precise in cutting the pearl and just as careful in polishing it. Otherwise, you will get deep scratches.”

Dr. Miro Fei-Yeung Ng, founder and president of the Centre for Gemmological Research, served as project consultant.