Captivating pink pearls are the centre of attraction at Ocean Flame Ltd’s booth at Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong.

Based in Hong Kong since 1996, the company specialises in natural pearls, specifically pink pearls from the Caribbean exhibiting exceptional flame structure and colour.

In a previous interview, company owner Bertrand Ternat revealed that Ocean Flame’s largest markets are Asia, Europe and the US. Considered among the rarest natural gems in the world, conch pearls remain highly sought after by traders and jewellery collectors who appreciate their beauty and investment value. Ocean Flame earlier developed a colour and flame grading system for conch pearls, which has been embraced by the market since its introduction. The system classifies conch pearls into categories based on colour intensity.

“Flame structure is the fingerprint of the pearls. It gives them their uniqueness,” remarked Ternat.

The oval-shaped gem is naturally formed by fibrous crystals inside a rare sea snail called conch. It is non-nacreous, meaning it is not made of nacre or mother-ofpearl. Only one out of 10,000 to 15,000 shells produce a conch pearl and only 10 per cent of these are of gem quality. Hunting for the pearl can be challenging. “One must remember that conch pearls are natural, not cultured. They come directly from the sea and their colour cannot be altered or enhanced,” he continued.