JNA Nov/ Dec 2020

MARKET INTELLIGENCE 50 | JNA Nov/Dec 2020 Legendary Tahitian pearls Wan invested heavily in the South Marutea atoll to restart production after the cyclones decimated all vital infrastructures. The storms however seemed to have had a positive impact, stimulating life inside the lagoon and resulting in outstanding harvests two years later. This thriving ecosystem remains unchanged to this day, noted the pearl specialist. Through research and innovative techniques, Wan’s company found a way to improve the quality of pearl harvests over the years in terms of lustre, colour, size, shape and surface. At around 11.5mm, pearls from South Marutea are on average 1mm bigger than other Tahitian pearls, Wan noted. His facilities produce 80 per cent of nice-quality pearls above 12mm from French Polynesia. South Marutea atoll yields large quantities of pearls of 15mm and above annually, most of which are of AAA quality. “The next step is to obtain a certificate of origin for my pearls. Our German distributor, Gellner, is launching the Marutea brand. Our pearls are the first in the world to be marketed as ‘private culture.’ Traceability of pearls from the farm to the consumer is the future of pearls, especially if they come from South Marutea,” noted Wan. Atolls are defined as ring-shaped coral reefs, islands or series of islets that surround a body of water called a lagoon. They are created when an underwater volcano erupts, creating a pile of lava on the seafloor. With continuous eruptions, the volcano’s elevation grows higher and breaks the surface of the water. After the volcano recedes into the ocean, what remains is the atoll. 顧名思義，環礁就是環形的珊瑚礁，島嶼或一系列圍繞著 潟湖的水域小島。當海底火山爆發時，在海床會形成一 堆熔岩﹔隨著火山不斷噴發，熔岩向上堆積，變得越來 越高，最後露出水面。當火山退回海裡後，就形成環礁。 In 1976, the Gemological Institute of America officially recognised the natural colour of Tahitian pearls. In 1988, the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) adopted the standardised nomenclature ‘naturally coloured Tahitian cultured pearls.’ South Marutea atoll 南馬魯特阿環礁 Tahitian pearls from South Marutea atoll 南馬魯特阿環礁盛產的大溪地珍珠 Did you know 你知道嗎 ? All images by Philippe Bouasse 圖片提供： Philippe Bouasse