Pearl Perspectives

Welcome! We are passionate about pearls and committed to helping you increase your share of this market.

It is our belief an enhanced knowledge of the cultured pearl product category results in greater sales and an increased passion for pearls.

The CPAA has taken on a project to educate the jewelry sales personal and the community as a whole. They have developed a FUN and ENTERTAINING way to teach and learn about cultured pearls with a “flash card” system. Each laminated card will be round in shape and since many questions pertain to all pearls there will be a visual indicator, such as a cluster of pearls, which means the Q & A refers to all pearls. If for example, the answer applies to only a Tahitian pearl then the visual will show a Tahitian pearl only. These visual aids will help in memory retention. A question will appear on one side and the answer on the reverse. Sales associates can even play and test each other, learning becomes fun and tests prove more knowledge is retained when done in an environment of fun!

The CPAA NEEDS YOU….the CPAA is reaching out to the pearl community asking for assistance in developing the best questions and answers for the cards. Go to the Forum section of the www.cpaa.org website where you can submit any questions regarding cultured pearls. Whether you are a Jeweler, Retailer, Manager, Sales Associate, Pearl enthusiast …….no question is foolish. For instance, many people think “cultured” is a variety of pearl, the CPAA’s goal is to share accurate information in a fun and easy way to learn.

As a special thank you, the CPAA will give a complimentary set of cards to each individual whose Q & A is selected. Additionally, the committee Chairman, at his discretion will award a copy of Elisabeth Strack’s book, Pearls, to the individual whose contribution was most significant in accomplishing this goal.

I have just returned from Tahiti where I had the opportunity to meet with Merehau Anastas and Alfred Martin. We had the opportunity to discuss the changes that have been taking place in the Tahitian pearl industry in general and GIE Pearls de Tahiti.
There is great turmoil in Tahiti. The average pearl farmer is struggling for profitability. There is a strong belief that the pearl export tax will be temporarily suspended beginning in October.
The new pearl promotion plan to promote in Japan, China and The USA was discussed and the disproportionate Japanese share of the promotional funding was discussed at length. I was assured that their will be another meeting to reconsider the proposed budget.

The American Museum of Natural History’s web site defines fossil pearls thusly: The oldest known fossil pearls date from 230-210 million years ago, although
mollusks have undoubtedly been producing pearls since they first appeared about 530 million years ago. Always rare, fossil pearls are almost always associated
with marine bivalves, although ancient freshwater mollusks also produced pearls. During a pearl’s fossilization, the aragonite (the mineral that makes up most of the pearl) is replaced by calcite or another mineral, but in cross-section the fossils show the same concentric layering as in modern pearls. Occasionally the original aragonite is preserved with its nacreous luster.

It’s a commonly known fact that one of the main contributing factors towards the UAE’s diverse economy is the city’s oil wealth.

However, did you know that less than a century ago, pearls contributed towards the income of many residents, and thus the country’s economy?

Then, the Gulf was home to some of the best pearls in the world, due to the formation of the seabed, the temperature and shallowness of the water. According to historical data, an estimated 80,000 men in the UAE alone were involved in pearling and the sale of pearls.

World is Dubai's oyster, with Australians building a pearl hub

For the past two years, Australia's Paspaley family have been selling South Sea pearls to wealthy buyers along the Persian Gulf, the world's one-time pearling hub.

Now the family are planning a pearl cultural, heritage and retail centre to be built on Antarctica, one of the 300 man-made islands comprising the World Islands development just off Dubai.