INSIGHT 睿智角度 PEARL REPORT | 24 | 2023-2024 | Bernardette Sto. Domingo 杜明高 | A lustrous pearl from Myanmar’s Mergui Archipelago is taking the world by storm with its extraordinary range of hues – forever changing the game for the golden South Sea pearl trade. 一种产自缅甸丹老群岛、富有光泽的珍珠，以其非凡的色彩变奏 风靡全球，永久改变了南洋金珠行业的格局。 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. Rio Pearl’s auction in Hong Kong 丽雅珠行在中国香港的拍卖会 revolutionary Rainbow Gold Rio Pearl’s 革命性彩虹金珠
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NjAxOTU=