FOCUS 焦点 PEARL REPORT | 15 | 2023-2024 Tahitian pearls. Photo courtesy of the Tahitian Pearl Association Hong Kong 大溪地珠。照片由香港大溪地黑珍珠协会提供 Source: Tahitian Pearl Association Hong Kong 资料来源：香港大溪地黑珍珠协会 momme from Y3,000 per momme in 2015 to 2020. These figures were based on results of joint sales, representing average price per momme of top- to low-quality goods. Fine-quality, round white South Sea pearls, meanwhile, saw unit price adjustments of close to 200 per cent to Y200,000 per momme from Y70,000 per momme pre-Covid. Sourcing has also become more challenging. Kakuda said market developments are redefining the pearl business in Japan. In the past, dealers could easily supply pearls according to customers’ exact sourcing needs and specifications whereas now, it is the other way around. “Stocks are limited, so we had to change our strategy. Now, we present what we have to the market, with a specific price range, and ask who is interested,” the JPEA chairman explained. Rosario Autore, CEO and founder of Australian South Sea pearl specialist Autore, said fewer companies are producing better-quality white South Sea pearls amid increasing demand. Asia, led by China and Japan, are prime movers in the pearl trade but demand is steadily growing in the US and Europe, too. Autore also entertains enquiries from South America and the Middle East. Autore, which produces approximately 350,000 pearls annually in Indonesia and Australia, has seen record annual turnover and profitability in 2022 and 2023, noted Rosario. The company is also the second-largest producer and quota holder in Australia. “Autore heavily invested in research and development over the last 13 years. The pearls we produce and sell at auction can attest to our high standards of quality,” remarked Rosario. “Based on competitive bidding at our auctions, all lots achieve prices exceeding undisclosed reserves. The only challenge we face is keeping up with demand.” Tahitian pearls are also in the limelight, with buyers opting for round to semi-round and baroque pearls of vivid colours and exceptional lustre at auction, said Kakuda of JPEA. According to the Tahitian Pearl Association Hong Kong (TPAHK), results of its auctions in August 2023 showed that high-quality, round Tahitian pearls were extremely sought after while prices have soared significantly from pre-pandemic levels. Interest in uniquely shaped pearls like keshi and semi-baroque are also on the upswing, thanks to limited production and mainland Chinese celebrities promoting these pearls. Meanwhile, Hong Kong accounted for 61 per cent of Tahitian pearl exports (by weight) from French Polynesia in 2022, TPAHK data showed. Hong Kong has retained this position since 2010. TPAHK said prospects remain bright for Tahitian pearls throughout 2023 amid tighter supply and high prices, with Asia, the US and Europe contributing to business growth. Jonathan Cheng, director of Rio Pearl, said what is creating extraordinary demand for all pearl varieties, including Tahitian, white and golden South Sea and Akoya pearls, is the tight supply of quality goods in the market. Several farms closed in 2021 and 2022 due to difficulties arising from Covid, leaving only the big producers to supply pearls in the market. “Demand outweighs what is in the market now. Most buyers are finding it difficult to source goods across the board,” noted Cheng. “The market, however, is relatively stable, with sizable producers still making the same number of pearls, if not slightly more.” Design revolution The beloved pearl is all the rage in the fine jewellery market today, thanks to innovative jewellers and discerning buyers. Jorg Gellner, CEO of German fine jeweller Gellner, said clients were actively buying big-ticket pearl jewellery items during the pandemic as funds intended for luxury travel were diverted to jewellery purchases. 2022 Tahitian Pearl Exports Data from French Polynesia 2022年大溪地珍珠出口數据 Destination 出口地 Weight 重量 FOB Value 价值 Hong Kong 香港地区 61% 56% Japan 日本 29% 35% USA 美国 6% 4% France 法国 3% 3% Others 其他 1% 2% 100% 100%
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