[jshepherd]

Day 11

The group divided into three sections with group one heading to Kuri Bay by seaplane. I was placed into group 2, and our day consisted of everything Paspaley in Darwin.

Our first stop of the day was the Paspaley machine shop where all boats (not to be confused with the ships) and farming equipment were built and maintained. Here I discovered the world's most boring job – knot tightening. Imagine sitting in front of a machine, cinching knots all day, every day...



From the machine shop we made our way to a pearling exhibition where we toured a museum-like facility which chronicled the history or pearling in Australia with videos and exhibitions.

After finishing a long lunch we headed for the Paspaley showroom of Darwin, which is located beneath (on street level) the sorting room. It is home to some of Paspaley's finest pieces, including their signature 2006/2007 Dolce collection. An ensemble of extravagance, featuring diamonds, sapphires, white gold, and of course, Australian South Sea pearls.


A piece from the Dolce collection

The showroom was a mix of awes as champagne flowed and nearly every lady in the group tried on every strand on display.

The sorting room was the highlight and culmination of the day. Here pearls are graded, sorted, and polished. Interesting thing about the polishing, however, it was referred to as a “washing”. I called it polishing but was corrected by our escort who said, “No, not polishing, washing.” So I guess she must have meant that the pearls were washed in Japanese tumble-polishers with walnut shell, the most common polishing compound for pearls.


Walnut shell polishers

The sorting room was abuzz with activity as pearls were being sorted for auction by Paspaley's Japanese partners. They were being separated into auction lots which were sure to solicit bids at September's auction in Hong Kong.


Separating pearls into lots for auction

While in the sorting room we were treated to a viewing of a few of Paspaley's private collection of gems. The centerpiece of the collection was the famous Paspaley pearl. A 20.4 mm pearl that is perfect in every grading respect. Perfect round with intense luster and overtone. Nicholas Paspaley was actually on the pearling ship the day the pearl was harvested. We took turns holding it and examining it from each identical angle.


The Paspaley Pearl

Michael Bracher showed up near the end of the tour. Michael is the manager of pearl distribution for the Paspaley Pearls Group, and the nephew of Nicholas Paspaley. We had met about 2 years ago in Hong Kong. I was able to sneak away from the group to catch up with him for a while.

He had a few questions about our business, and mentioned seeing a recent article on our akoya farming venture. He congratulated me and then I told him about last month's devastating typhoon, and the effects it had on the operation.

Michael talked a bit about pearl treatments, and how Paspaley was preparing to launch a campaign on treatment disclosures. GIA could now test for any and all treatments, and consumers should have a right to know. He intimated that anything coming out of Japan today had been subjected to treatments of some kind, and these pearls should not be as valuable as pearls completely in their natural luster state.

As this was the last stop of the day, we made our way back to the hotel. Several of the group went out, but pickup was a 6:45 am to go to Kuri Bay, and this is what I had been waiting two weeks to see. So I turned in at 10.