From the June 2021 issue of #thisispearl digital magazine

The past four years of my term as president have flown by, and it’s time to welcome a fresh face to this post. My friend and colleague Anil Maloo of Baggins Pearls, now steps into this role, and I’m certain he’ll do an excellent job. Anil will bring even more experience and insights to the CPAA board. Over the past four years, the CPAA has seen incredible change for the better, and I’m proud to have played a role in these endeavors.

During my term, CPAA created some new member benefits and kicked off some exciting projects. CPAA reinvigorated its website to include original content, a move that eventually paved the way for this digital-only magazine—a testament to the demand for pearl-specific content. A robust social media presence took shape at @pearlscpaa on Instagram and on Pinterest, and our Instagram numbers alone mushroomed to 23,400 fans. Improved association benefits allow our members to enjoy re-grams by way of posts and stories and Instagram Live interviews, while additional benefits include discounts to the CPAA’s International Pearl Design Contest (IPDC), a library of professional images to use in promotions, content features, and more. A retail initiative also took shape within the IPDC, and contest entrants saw sales happen at the store of our retail partner, the Aaron Faber Gallery in Manhattan.

The CPAA’s most exciting project of all, of course, is our Pearls As One (PAO) education, and to date, we have seen more than 85,000 student signups. PAO is the most in-depth education about cultured pearls in the world, and the CPAA is proud to have produced it. In fact, updates and additional chapters are in the works as I write this letter.

For those who love pearls and make and sell loose pearls and pearl jewelry, membership in the CPAA is an incredible value. For $299 a year, an Affiliate membership allows designers and retailers to enjoy monthly social media posts and inclusion in member news and profiles in this magazine. Meanwhile, Foundation member dealers of loose pearls enjoy even more robust promotion advantages as well as voting privileges and the opportunity to become an active board member for $1,500 annually. Join us to help us drive a more profitable and exciting future for pearls and pearl jewelry.

Aziz Basalely is the president of CPAA and the owner of Eliko Pearl. 

This article is from the June 2021 issue of #thisispearl.