Tokyo--A new akoya pearl farm venture located in an open-sea area in Japan's Fukuoka Prefecture has yielded a bounty of "excellent pearls" of large size and good quality, with owner K. Mikimoto and Co. citing the harvest as a major advance in pearl cultivation for the much-prized pearl variety.

"The results have been astounding at this new akoya pearl farm," the company said in a release shared exclusively with National Jeweler, describing Mikimoto Hakata Pearl Culturing Co.'s pearl farm in Ainoshima, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. "While the number of large-sized Japanese akoya pearls of the highest quality has been decreasing in recent years, Mikimoto can now continue to ensure its stable supply at [the pearl farm in] Ainoshima, heralding a new beginning for both Mikimoto and the jewelry industry as a whole."

The akoya pearl industry has been struggling with scarcity for more than a decade, ever since Japan's akoya pearl-producing oyster population was decimated back in the mid 1990s by what experts believed was a mix of factors including pollution, disease and a 1994 "red tide" that brought microscopic, toxin-producing animals into the waters where pearl oysters were harvested.

Since that time, the Chinese freshwater pearl industry has been growing rapidly with the quality of its pearls improving in turn, although Japanese akoyas, particularly in the 6- to 7-millimeter size range have remained coveted commodities.

This past winter at Ainoshima, pearls were harvested from 10,000 akoya pearl oysters that had been raised to maturity over the past four years. Nearly 12,000 pearls harvested exhibit the high quality for which Mikimoto pearls are renowned, with high luster and good color unique to Japanese akoyas, the company said.

"Cultivating pearls using native oysters in this area heralds an important new advance in Japanese pearl production, at a time when the amount of high-quality akoya pearls is feared to be decreasing," the company said.

Mikimoto Hakata Pearl Culturing Co., a subsidiary of K. Mikimoto and Co., was founded in January 2007 with the goal of launching a new akoya cultivation business, using home-grown, disease-free, natural pearl oysters discovered in Ainoshima in 2000. The company's research laboratory, K. Mikimoto and Co. Ltd. Pearl Research Laboratory, has been working with scientists from the Fukuoka Fisheries and Marine Technology Center, Kyusuu University and Shingu Ainoshima Fisheries Corp. on the pearl-culturing project at Ainoshima.

Although the pearl farm is young, its harvest was a surprise because of the unusually high percentage of good-quality pearls. The success is being attributed to "thorough preservation" of the farm environment, where oysters enjoyed favorable living conditions during the culturing period. The goal for 2010 is to harvest pearls from 50,000 akoya oysters, with the number of oysters to be harvested expected to grow to 200,000 within the next three years, the company said.

One thing that sets the new farm apart is its location in the open sea, since it was previously assumed that closed, calm waters were best for pearl production, the company said.

"This new farming site is not contaminated by diseases and is a habitat for healthy, natural akoya oysters," the company said. "Additionally, its environmental conditions, including water temperature and the larger types of akoya pearl oysters, are all appropriate for pearl culturing."

Experiments have revealed that the farming site is rich in phytoplankton to feed the pearl oysters, and that its tidal current is moderate, allowing the oysters to grow and produce excellent pearls of "large size and good quality," with mortality rates of the oysters very low, the company said.

In recent years, the K. Mikimoto and Co. Ltd. Pearl Research Laboratory in Japan has been working on the research of "Heterocapsa circularisquama red tides" and the Reddening Adductor Disease, which are causes of abnormal mortality among akoya pearl oysters. In 2003, the laboratory's measure to reduce damage by the Reddening Adductor Disease won a "Technical Achievement Award" from the Japanese Society of Fisheries Science.

A special note of thanks to all our speakers and delegates for your active participation and support throughout the World Pearl Forum! The inaugural World Pearl Forum held in February 2009 at the iconic Atlantis Hotel in Dubai witnessed healthy debates and thought-provoking presentations from over 25 international speakers in front of a global audience of 200+ participants. Stressing the need for greater industry collaboration to ensure effective positioning of pearls as a sector amongst the luxury/jewelery sectors, participants were clear in their ‘call to action’ from industry leaders. Global experts cited Dubai’s positioning as the ideal location and in turn the Dubai Pearl Exchange the ideal platform to coordinate such an initiative given it’s neutral positioning and ability to drive successful initiatives such as the World Pearl Forum, post the highly successful gathering of industry professionals in Dubai last month. Click here to see the closing news release for the World Pearl Forum HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein attends the inaugural World Pearl Forum   The event was held under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. HRH Princess Haya’s appearance at the Forum raised the profile of the event. In a private meeting with senior Dubai World and DMCC Executives HRH Princess Haya praised the role of the pearl divers that once was the foundation of Dubai’s economy, adding that this Forum is in honour of the great tradition of pearl diving and will help Dubai regain its legacy as the leader in the pearling industry. A note from the Dubai Pearl Exchange, the organisers of the World Pearl Forum Dear Industry friends and colleagues, We have been overwhelmed with positive feedback from both delegates and speakers of the inaugural World Pearl Forum held in Dubai mid Feb 2009. Your enthusiastic participation is evidence that the passion for pearls is very much alive. A vision for industry collaboration and growth of the global pearl trade brought us together for this dedicated forum and spurred some healthy debates and discussions between panellists and the audience. Let’s harness the opportunity and together work to position pearls effectively in the minds of the retailer and hearts of the consumer through education, marketing, promotion and collective effort - a short term investment for much longer term gains. We, at the Dubai Pearl Exchange, look forward to working with you to meet your objectives and lead the pearl industry to a lustrous future. Kind regards, Gaiti Rabbani Executive Director - Coloured Stones & Pearls, DMCC Quotes to Remember “CRISIS – WHAT CRISIS – WE FACE CRISIS EVERY DAY IN A PEARL FARM” Jacques Branellec, Managing Director – Jewelmer International Corp “IT IS THE AGE OF ENGAGE” Jeremy Shepherd, President and CEO – PearlParadise.com “PEARL FARMS ARE THE BAROMETERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT” Justin Hunter, Founder – J. Hunter Pearls Fiji “TODAY IS LIKE A DREAM COME TRUE FOR ME” Sonny Sethi, President – Cultured Pearl Association of America (CPAA) “DIAMONDS MAY BE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND, BUT PEARLS ARE A SUCCESSFUL WOMAN’S BEST FRIEND!” Hedda Schupak, Editor-in-Chief – JCK International Publishing Group “PEARLS THE ESSENCE OF FEMININITY. THERE IS POWER AND AUTHORITY IN BEING FEMININE. IT’S THE ESSENCE OF BEING A WOMAN.” Mark Rogers, Partner & Head of Brand Strategy – Mojo “FOR EVERY PEARL WE SELL, WE SELL TEN DIAMONDS SO PERHAPS DE BEERS SLOGAN SHOULD BE PEARLS ARE A DIAMONDS BEST FRIEND!” Nicholas T.J. Paspaley AC, Chairman of the Board of Directors - Paspaley Pearls Group “CONSUMER BRANDS SPEND 15-20% OF NET PROFIT ON ADVERTISING/ PROMOTION.” T. B. (MAC) Mcclelland, JR., President and Chief Executive Officer - The Luxury Marketing Council (Middle East) Highlights of the World Pearl Forum Pearling heritage inspired welcome evening   Getting in the groove at the Blues inspired Gala evening   Click here to view all the event images Attendee’s feedback Thank you for taking the time to fill in the feedback forms. The favourite sessions were ‘PEARLS OF WISDOM – The Way Forward’, the First Session of Day 2 followed by ‘SEA TO SPLENDOUR – Success Stories’, the Second Session of Day 1. Please click here to access detailed feedback from the event. Special note of thanks to our sponsors A special note of appreciation and thanks to our esteemed sponsors whose investment in our initiatives is well appreciated. Stay in touch We invite you to stay in touch with the World Pearl Forum organizing team at the Dubai Pearl Exchange for any updates post the Forum and/or for any lost and found items with description of the items – Megha at megha.ohri@dmcc.ae, Khadra at khadra.hussein@dmcc.ae or Preetha at preetha.rayan@dmcc.ae

Global pearl industry calls for Dubai to take leadership role in promoting shared interest

·Inaugural World Pearl Forum ends with a 'call to action'

·Dubai Pearl Exchange to initiate working committee of international industry leaders

Dubai, xx February 2009: The two-day World Pearl Forum, organised by the Dubai Pearl Exchange, a subsidiary of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), concluded last Wednesday with industry calls for Dubai to take a leadership role in driving the future collective growth of the global pearl trade. Last week's Dubai-based event, held under the patronage of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, proved successful in achieving the objective of uniting leading pearl industry professionals for the first time.

Stressing the need for greater coordination among the diverse types of pearls represented by the global pearl industry, participants from across the world called for action from industry leaders to ensure effective positioning of pearls as a division amongst the jewellery sector.Industry leaders cited Dubai's positioning as the ideal location, and in turn the Dubai Pearl Exchange, as the ideal platform to coordinate such an initiative given its neutral positioning and ability to drive fundamental projects such as the World Pearl Forum.

In response, the Dubai Pearl Exchange (DPE) is committed to establish a working committee by inviting the participation of industry leaders from key producing regions to develop a strategic plan that will promote the interests of the global pearl industry among the various stakeholders.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, DMCC said: "It is particularly relevant that at a time of global economic turbulence, the first World Pearl Forum has injected a positive note through a commitment to collaboration on the part of the world's major producers and industry decision-makers. Dubai's geographic positioning and DMCC's commitment to the pearl trade are factors in our decision to spearhead and proactively establish the new international working committee for pearl promotion."

One of the main local industry representatives advocating this move, Tawfique Abdullah, Chairman, Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group said: "The time is right for all pearl producers to work together and with traders towards a single coherent strategy for pearls. At the centre of the future consuming economies, Dubai is ideally located to co-ordinate and drive such a strategy."

Echoing the suggestion for creating a universal support group, Akshay Kumar Sharma, CEO, Lucky Star Jewellery Expots Ltd, Rosy Blue Group of Companies, said: "More than ever, it is important that the pearling industry unites to overcome these difficult times. The gold and diamond industry comprises many well-established, long-standing bodies and forums that unite traders and producers but there is an absence of a global forum for members of the pearling trade. The forming of a working committee is needed to provide direction and leadership to the pearl industry."

Also recognised during the forum discussions and presentations, was the need to establish a universal language and set of definitions that would facilitate in educating both retailers and consumers about all types of pearls available.

Sonny Sethi, President, Cultured Pearl Association of America (CPAA) explained: "Neither the retailer nor the consumer completely understand pearls and it is important that producers work together with the trade to educate consumers on the different types of pearls to create a stronger demand. Trust and reliability are important aspects of any customer relationship, especially for jewellers, and forming a committee who will work on and introduce a universal grading system by providing expert certification for pearl strands will lead to a new layer of confidence in their quality."

In her concluding remarks to the forum, Gaiti Rabbani, Executive Director, Coloured Stones and Pearls, DMCC invited leading pearl producers of South Sea, Tahitian, Golden, Freshwater and Akoya pearls to be part of the first-ever global focus group for pearls.

"Given Dubai's neutral position in the pearl industry, DPE is pleased totake on the responsibility of initiating a cohesive working group dedicated to promoting the interests of the global pearl industry," she said. "Moving ahead, we look forward to garnering the expertise from the leading pearl producers of the world to create this working committee. Their combined knowledge and long-term experience will go a long way towards directing future growth strategies. With the support of international pearling companies and industry experts, the Dubai Pearl Exchange hopes to coordinate this working committee in the coming months."

The World Pearl Forum witnessed healthy debates and thought-provoking presentations from over 25 international speakers in front of a global audience of 200+ participants. The event was sponsored by: Dubai World, Rosy Blue, Emirates NBD, Damas, Dubai Convention Bureau and Pearls of Arabia.

-ends-

Note to the Editors:

The Dubai Pearl Exchange (DPE) is a subsidiary of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), a Dubai Government initiative. An exclusive trading platform for the pearls industry, the DPE facilitates the pearl trade through a "one-stop shop" structured, service-oriented platform for members only with objective of reinstating Dubai as the world's largest pearl centre. Membership fosters increased business opportunities with international and regional players in the natural and cultured pearls industry through various value added initiatives.

Visit www.dpe.ae

About DMCC Corporate

DMCC was created in 2002 as a strategic initiative of the Dubai Government to establish a commodity marketplace in Dubai. Rated 'A' by Standard & Poor's, it provides the market infrastructure that brings together a wide range of commodities activities, and is committed to serve the needs of participants in the gold, diamonds, coloured stones, pearls and commodities markets. Resident companies of DMCC are offered highly attractive benefits under a free zone status, including a 50-year guaranteed tax holiday, 100 per cent business ownership, full ownership of business premises, and a secure regulated environment.

Follow link below

http://www.modernjeweler.com/print/Modern-Jeweler/
How-Green-Are-Your-Pearls/1$862

Dubai has done it! The Dubai Pearl Exchange (subsidiary of the DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre)) is hosting the mother of all pearl events, the world's first ever world pearl forum.

We are all aware that this area of the Gulf was once the pearl center of the world. This was replaced by gold in the last century, black gold that is. But a country with so much money and so much pride in its history is set to reclaim its pearly stature.

Leading up to this forum the DMCC has several initiatives underway:

Pearls of Arabia is a 6000-square-meter experience center on Antarctica created in association with Paspaley Pearling Company.

The Dubai Pearl Exchange, an exclusive trading platform for the pearl industry.

Pearl Essence, an international pearl jewelry design program specifically focused on pearls.

Not too shabby for a country that no longer produces pearls on a commercial scale!

The line-up of speakers is like the who's who of the industry.

Keynote address: Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman - Dubai World
Regional Pearling - History and Heritage

Gaiti Rabbani, Executive Director, Coloured Stones and Pearls - DMCC
Vision for the Pearls of the World

Nicholas Paspaley, Executive Chairman
Branding a Modern Classic - The South Sea Pearl

Robert Wan, Chairman - Robert Wan Tahiti
Polynesian Black Pearl - The Influence in Today's Market

Noriyuki Morita, President, K. Mikimoto & Co., Ltd.
'I would like to adorn the neck of all women in the world with pearls' - Dream or Reality?

Jacques Branellec, President - Jewelmer
The Golden Age of the Pearl

Justin Hunter, Founder - J. Hunter Pearls Fiji
A New Source of Black Pearl

Bill Reed - Managing Director, Linneys of Broome
Setting up and Sustaining a Pearl Farm

Jeremy Shepherd, President - PearlParadise.com
Double-digit Growth in Pearl Jewelry Online Sales - Opportunities in the New Economy

Jorg Gellner, Managing Director - Gellner
Redefining a Family Business to Meet Challenges of Today's Marketplace

Sonny Sethi, President - Cultured Pearl Association of America
Creating Demand for New Pearls

Kenneth Scarratt, Director of Research - GIA Thailand
Challenges of Creating a Universal Grading System

Robert Cepek, Managing Director, Iridesse
Success Story in Experiential Marketing and Retail

Rosario Autore, CEO and CFO - Autore
Celebrity Placement: Formula for Positioning Pearls

David Bennett, CEO, ME & Europe - Sotheby's
Natural Pearls - An Investment, Luxury or Both?

By SHAWNA OHM, Associated Press Writer Mon Nov 10, 2008

2,000-year-old gold earring found in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM – A luxurious gold, pearl and emerald earring provides a new visual clue about the life of the elite in Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago. And its discovery was a true eureka moment for excavators.

The piece was found beneath a parking lot   next to the walls of Jerusalem's Old City. It dates to the Roman period just after the time of Jesus, said Doron Ben-Ami, who directed the dig.

The earring was uncovered in a destroyed Byzantine structure built centuries after the piece was made, showing it was likely passed down through generations, he said.

Archaeologists came upon the earring in a corner while excavating the ruins of the building under a parking lot. "Suddenly one of the excavators came up shouting 'Eureka!'" said Ben-Ami.

The find is eye-catching: A large pearl inlaid in gold with two drop pieces, each with an emerald and pearl set in gold.

"It must have belonged to someone of the elite in Jerusalem," Ben-Ami said. "Such a precious item, it couldn't be one of just ordinary people."

Archaeologist Shimon Gibson, who was not involved in the dig, said the find was truly amazing, less because of its Roman origins than for its precious nature.

"Jewelry is hardly preserved in archaeological context in Jerusalem," he said, because precious metals were often sold or melted down during the many historic takeovers of the city.

"It adds to the visual history of Jerusalem," Gibson added, saying it brings attention to the life of women in antiquity.

Ben-Ami the piece's placement in the destroyed building protected it from looters and kept it preserved. Its location also showed that it must be older than the house itself.

The Israel Antiquities Authority said the earring appeared to have been made using a technique similar to that depicted in portraits from Roman-era Egypt. Experts were able to date the earring by comparing it to similar finds in Europe.

In a statement released Monday, the Antiquities Authority said the earring was "astonishingly well-preserved." Finds from the Roman period are rare in Jerusalem, Ben-Ami said, because the city was destroyed by the Roman Empire in the first century A.D.

Though Gibson dates the piece slightly later than the antiquities authority, to sometime between the second and fourth centuries A.D., he said its quality and beauty were impressive.

And Ben-Ami said he expects more small, luxury items to turn up in future excavations.