Pearl Perspetives

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

The year is 1947 and Bart D’Elia is getting ready to go home after spending 6 months in Japan buying and processing pearls. The day before departing he receives a call from Mr. Mikimoto asking him to come to Ise. Mr. D’Elia says that he would be happy to come but he was leaving the next day and was anxious to get home after 6 months. Mr. Mikimoto said I think it will be worth your time to come. He decided to go.

When the war ended and the Allied Occupation Forces came to Japan, they classified cultured pearls as “valuable and easily negotiable articles of commerce’ considering them “a potential avenue for illegal trading.” Measures were therefore taken to prevent unlawful trafficking. On January 14th, 1946, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, General Douglas Macarthur, sent a memorandum to the complete inventory of commercial stocks of pearls” and it prohibited all transactions except those under current contracts. It also required “that all future transactions must receive the written authorization of General Headquarters.”

As JCK approaches, we are excited about the launch of newest Imperial line “Crown Select”. This exclusive collection of fine 18kt Cultured Pearl and Diamond jewelry is geared toward the upscale buyer who is looking for the very finest quality and workmanship. We’ve carefully selected only the very finest Akoya, South Sea, and Tahitian pearls along with VS1 clarity diamonds for Crown Select. For a sneak preview click here.

Please see us at JCK Las Vegas Plumb Club 40

Twelve of the rarest pearls in the world will be on public display together for the first time in "The Allure of Pearls" exhibition at the National Museum of Natural History, on view March 18th through September 5th.

The exhibit in the museum's Harry Winston Gallery will include the Hope Pearl, previously owned by Lord Henry Philip Hope, the same Englishman who gave his name to the Hope Diamond. This will be the first time the Hope Pearl has been reunited with the Hope Diamond since they were together in Hope's collection - more than 150 years ago. The Winston Gallery is the home of the Hope Diamond.

Featured in the exhibit is the extraordinary La Peregrina, one of the largest and most famous pearls in the world. It is currently owned by Elizabeth Taylor and was given to her by Richard Burton in 1969. It will be shown within its diamond, ruby and pearl necklace, designed by Cartier and Ms. Taylor. Previous owners have been Queen Mary Tudor and the Bonaparte family. La Peregrina was found in the 16th century off the coast of Panama.

"We are thrilled to be able to offer our visitors this rare opportunity to see some of the world's most extraordinary pearls," said Cristián Samper, director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

Other rare pearls in the exhibition include the Drexel Pearl, a large natural grey pearl from Polynesia in a Cartier setting from 1905; Black Beauty, a beautiful eggplant-colored natural black pearl from South America; the Pearl of Kuwait, a natural drop pearl from the Persian Gulf; the Queen Mary Brooch featuring two large natural pink conch pearls in a 100-year-old setting, owned by Queen Mary, wife of His Majesty King George V; South Sea Drops, two rare natural South Sea pearls; the Survival Pearl, reputed to be the world's largest pink snail pearl, a fresh water pearl found in the United States; the Pearl of Asia, reputed to be the largest natural pearl in the world and once owned by Shah Jahan (builder of the Taj Mahal); and the Paspaley Pearl, one of the largest and most beautiful cultured pearls in the world, on public display for the first time.

"'The Allure of Pearls' brings together a tremendous collection of some of the rarest, largest and most spectacular pearls in the world," said Jeffrey Post, curator of the National Gem Collection at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. "Visitors will be amazed at the great variety of the pearls' colors and shapes. Each one is beautiful and each has a fascinating story."

The La Peregrina pearl, meaning “The Pilgrim”, is a large pear-shaped white pearl of 203.84 grains discovered in Panama in mid-16th century and brought to King Phillip II of Spain who presented it as a wedding gift to his wife, Queen Mary. Later it belonged to Queen Margaret of Spain as well as Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain. Later it was acquired by the British Marquis of Abercorn from the son of French emperor Napoleon III. It was purchased in 1969 for $37,000 by actor Richard Burton for his wife, Elizabeth Taylor, who still owns it.

A few years ago, the actress lost the pearl. After a frantic search, the precious gem was finally found in the mouth of her pet dog.

This section looks at trends both in the market and in the world of pearls.

ou remember your mother's pearls. Round, white, maybe 6 mm to 7 mm in size, strung in an elegant strand that she wore on formal occasions. Looking at the pearl market today, you might be tempted to ask, "What happened?"

With South Sea pearls from Tahiti, Indonesia, and other sources becoming much more available, and the huge influx of freshwater pearls from China, the consumer market of the 1990s was suddenly faced with more pearl options than ever before. Starting around the middle of the decade, major markets like the United States and Europe began to drastically increase their pearl purchases; in Europe, pearl imports doubled in value between 1995 and 2000, while in the United States they quadrupled.

What were the factors that led to this pearl boom? And can the market be sustained over the years to come? To answer those questions, you have to go back to the beginning.

The Allure of Pearls will run through September 5, 2005
Geology, Gems, and Minerals Hall, Second Floor
Smithsonian Institution Museum of Natural History
10th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC

The National Museum of Natural History is located at 10th Street and Constitution Avenue N.W. in Washington, D.C. It is the most visited natural history museum in the world welcoming 4.3 million people in 2004. The museum is dedicated to the maintenance and preservation of the world's most extensive collection of natural history specimens and human artifacts. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum and research complex. The Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day. Special spring hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, beginning March 11th. Special summer hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. every day May 26th through September 4th. Admission is free. For more information, please contact The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History at (202) 633-1000.