CIBJO Pearl Commission reiterates Blue Book`s status as definitive

Pearl Commission
CIBJO Pearl Commission reiterates Blue Book’s status
as definitive reference, and considers harmonized grading system
By Kenneth Scarratt, President
CIBJO Pearl Commission
T
he updated, partially harmonized and
comprehensive CIBJO Pearl Book, version
2014-1, with edits agreed during the
Moscow Congress, is now available on the CIBJO
web site at www.cibjo.org.
To reiterate previous editions the introduction
for the Book states “this CIBJO Pearl Standard/
rules is designed to assist all those involved in
natural pearls, cultured pearls, composites and
imitation pearls. The standard/rules is nonjudgmental and the definitions and clauses
contained therein are formatted and worded
only to ensure that each pearl bought or sold is
CIBJO SPECIAL REPORT 2015
PEARL COMMISSION
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done so with clarity and honesty. The stability
of the market place depends upon the use of
the proper nomenclature and the declaration
of all known facts that ensure a fully informed
purchase or sale”.
The book is free to download from the CIBJO
site in a PDF format and it is hoped that the
content will help guide all those involved in this
unique marketplace. In particular those new to
the various pearl markets are encouraged to
review the book’s content as the best practices
it contains, if adhered to, will help secure pride
and faith in a truly distinctive product, industry
and trade.
Several recommended edits were put forward
at the Moscow congress that were principally
aimed at harmonizing some of the content
Kenneth
Scarratt,
Pearl Commission.
President
of
CIBJO’s
and/or structures between the CIBJO Books and
further edits of a similar nature continue to be
debated up to the date of the CIBJO Congress in
Salvador, Brazil. These efforts will not be allowed
to compromise the content within the current
documents.
Further recommended edits will be discussed
and debated during the upcoming Salvador
Congress after which all of the Books will be republished, and where possible in similar formats
and with common definitions.
Shigeru Akamatsu, Vice President of CIBJO’s
Pearl Commission.
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Development of a harmonized Pearl Grading System
Pearl Commission Vice President Jeanne
Lecourt, who is also the President of the French
Polynesia Pearl Federation (FPPF), proposed
during the Pearl Commission meeting at the
Moscow Congress to create a working group that
will develop a Pearl Grading System under the
umbrella of CIBJO and submit a final proposition
to the Pearl Commission at a future Congress.
This proposal was accepted by the commission
and forwarded to CIBJO’s Executive.
Jeanne explained during the Moscow Congress
that “since the invention of Akoya spherical
cultured pearl in Japan in 1907, the world cultured
pearl industry had developed with the Akoya
cultured pearl at its centre and every standard of
quality and treatment descriptors had been based
on the Akoya cultured pearl.”
“Rapid globalization of the pearl culturing
industry during 1970’s saw various pearls
beginning to be cultured in many countries using
various species of the pearl-oyster. Treatment
techniques were also transferred from Japan to
overseas countries,” she continued.
“This has been favourable for the consumers
as they now enjoy a wide selection of various
types of cultured pearls,” Jeanne said. “However,
if they are not supplied with adequate information
on the kind of the pearls, and their quality and
treatments, they will inevitably be confused
which may result in a distrust of cultured pearls.
Jeanne Lecourt, Vice President of CIBJO’s Pearl
Commission.
Following these situations, a cultured pearl grading
system designed with consumer protection in mind
is needed more and more.”
We look forward to making progress on the
harmonised pearl grading system at the upcoming
CIBJO Congress in Brazil, where it is hoped that an
initial concept being devised by Nick Paspaley will
be ready for discussion.
9.67.
Strombus gigas calso known as
the Queen Conch may be found in areas of the
Caribbean and Central America. One of the
largest in its group, it has a large flaring lip and
the shoulders of its whorls bear blunt protruding
nodules which are particularly large for the body
whorl. Produces the pink (and other colours)
conch pearl.
[NOTE: see Clause 2 Normative References; Convention on
Rare, intriguing natural pearls and CIBJO’s Pearl Book
In recent years as one walks the floors of the
world’s trade shows including Basel, the major
Hong Kong and U.S. shows, or peruse the major
auction catalogues, the rising prices of natural
pearls cannot fail to be noticed. At the same time
one can also realize the great rarity of nacreous
natural pearls when compared with almost any
other gem material.
However, increasingly we are noticing the presence
of those even rarer natural pearls, such as conch
pearls from Strombus gigas, and the quahog pearl
from Mercenaria mercenaria, or even the Abalone
pearls with their distinctive shapes and colours.
As these rare natural pearls from a great variety
of molluscs appear on the market the CIBJO Pearl
Book comes into its own as a great resource, not
just as an indicator towards the proper terminology
that should be used in sales, but also as a source
of information about these very rare gems from
the seas.
The following are samples, along with their
specific references in the Pearl Book.
Figure 1: the shell of Strombus gigas with two
conch pearls alongside. Photo by Nuttapol Kitdee
and Lhapsin Nillapat ©GIA
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International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora.]
Figure 2: the shell of Mercenaria mercenaria with
two quahog pearls alongside. Photo by Nuttapol
Kitdee and Lhapsin Nillapat ©GIA
9.41. Mercenaria mercenaria clam species
Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758) or Venus
mercenaria, (class; bivalvia, order; Veneroida,
family; Veneridae, genus; Mercenaria) is
variously known as the northern quahog (its
Indian name pronounced CO hawg), hardshell,
littleneck, cherrystone, or chowder clam, is
common, commercially important and found on
the east coast of North America where it lives in
soft sediments in shallow water. Produces clam
pearls in various shades of purple. It burrows
shallowly in sediments of either mud or sand
and is among the most commercially important
species of invertebrate. Like other clams, it is
a filter feeder. Mercenaria mercenaria has a
large, heavy shell that ranges from being a pale
brownish colour to shades of grey and white.
The exterior of the shell, except nearest the
umbo is covered with a series of growth rings.
The interior of the shell is coloured a deep purple
around the posterior edge and hinge.
9.1. Abalone ear-shaped marine gastropod
of the genus Haliotis, with nacre in multi-hues
of blue, green, cream, red and purple; the meat
is edible; produces distinctive natural pearls,
blisters and cultured blisters are produced in
several regions (e.g., California, New Zealand);
also known as paua (New Zealand) and awabi
(Japan).
Figure 3: an abalone shell of with an abalone pearl
alongside. Photo by Nuttapol Kitdee and Lhapsin
Nillapat ©GIA
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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
© CIBJO, The World Jewellery Confederation 2015
www.cibjo.org