Boat International - June 2018

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES; ALAMY

$10 million in organisations working to preserve healthy

marine ecosystems. Costa believes “there are reasons to

beoptimistic,iftheglobalcommunitystandtogetherto

address the challenges of climate change.”

NopearlhuntiscompletewithoutavisittoMikimoto,

theJapanesejewellerrenownedforitscraftsmanshipand

high-jewellerycollections–andforitsAkoya

pearl. Farmed in Mikimoto’s fisheries in Japan,

theAkoyaisslightlysmaller–averaging7mm

indiameter–thanaSouthSeapearl,which

rangesfromeightto18mm.Butitmakesupfor

itssizeinlustre.Aheadofthegame,Mikimoto

introduced a ground-breaking pearl harvesting

policy in 2009, ensuring zero waste emissions.

Also making waves in the international

marketisthefamily-runeco-jewellerKamoka

Pearl,whichfarmsTahitianpearlsinAheAtolllagoon,300milesnorth

ofTahiti.Tahitianpearlscomefromtheblack-lipoyster,hencetheir

black hue. Kamoka has farmed sustainably for generations but put

itselffirmlyonthemapwhenitsco-founder,JoshHumbert,discovered

anewwaytocleanoystersorganically,banninghigh-poweredhoses

thatimpactedonthehealthofthelagoon.Humbertnowspeaksat

international sustainability forums worldwide.

So what to look out for when buying pearls? Colour, size and

lustrearekey.Fakepearlsareflawless,realpearlsaregritty,but

withnocertificateforculturedpearlsinexistence,thetaskof

confirmingapearl’sprovenanceistricky.DrLaurentCartier

fromSustainablePearls,aresearchprojectbasedatthe

University of Vermont and founded by the Tifany Foundation,

suggeststhefutureis“traceablepearls”–onlythenwewill

trulybeabletodelvedeep.

H

aving spent decades hiding in dusty jewellery boxes, pearls

have made a comeback: modern jewellers are dangling

them from shoulder-swiping earrings and using them

like solitaires as a single pearl on a ring.

Unlike other jewels, pearls are created from a living animal: an

oyster on the ocean floor. The cleaner their environment the healthier

the pearl produced, and their lustre (their unique iridescence) is their

USP. So, where do you go to find the finest pearls from the

cleanest waters?

Most jewellers use cultured pearls in their collections

• these are real pearls made with human intervention,
  a pioneering technique invented by Kokichi Mikimoto
  (right) in 1893. There are three major types of saltwater
  cultured pearls: Akoya, Tahitian and South Sea pearls,
  and between them they account for five per cent of global
  pearl sales. The other 95 per cent are freshwater pearls
  produced mainly in China. Natural (non-cultured) pearls
  are incredibly scarce, hence their stratospheric price tag:
  only one in every 10,000 oysters produces a natural pearl.
  “Fine cultured pearls are what you are looking for and for these you
  want to head straight to the experts,” says Chrissie Douglas, founder
  of Coleman Douglas Pearls. Douglas has designed pearl jewellery for
  rock stars and royalty. When asked about sustainability, she agrees
  that“pearlsareverysusceptibletopollution,hencemanyofthepearl
  farmers are active environmentalists. We have long-standing
  relationships with our suppliers and can verify they
  operate in an environmentally friendly way.”
  Another jeweller with eco-friendly credentials
  isTifany &Co,wherechiefsustainabilityoicer
  Anisa KamadoliCostaisthebrainsbehindthe
  Tifany & Co Foundation and its sustainability
  campaign. The
  companyisputting
  programmes in
  placetoensure
  responsible mining
  andtopreserve
  coralreefs.Since
  its launch in 2000,
  the foundation
  has invested

CHECKLIST

CEAN

YOUR PEARLS

WISELY

The world’s your oyster when

choosing pearls, saysMary Sanderson,

but looking for lustre is the key

“Pearls are very

susceptibletopollution,

hencemanyofthe

pearl farmers are active

environmentalists”

Saltwater

cultured pearls

account for five

per cent of global

pearl sales

Kamoka Pearl has

farmed Tahitian

pearls sustainably

for generations

Ziegfeld tassel

earrings, POA,

tiffany.co.uk

Golden pearl

necklace,

£97,000,

tiffany.co.uk

Necklace,

POA, brooch,

£3,360,

mikimoto.

co.uk

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