[Cam Hatch]

I was recently emailed an article about an experimental pearl farm set up in September 2000 in the United Arab Emirates. The article was from a Russian website which I could not investigate very well without speaking the language.

Here is a section of the article.....

In September, 2000 on a specially built experimental farm of Fujarirah International Trading Company in the UAE obtained first large pearls certified in the Gem and Pearl Testing Laboratory, Bahrein.

They are the first cultured pearls ever obtained in the history of the Middle East as logical continuation of the pearl-diving tradition that has existed in the region for centuries. The farm is specialized exclusively in growing large pearls shaped to the client`s order.

The unique Russian pearl-culturing technology developed by prof. Seid-Guseinov have been used.

Prof. Alexei Seid-Guseinov is the author of new technologies based on the achievements of up-to-date transplantology. One of these technologies was used for culturing large paragons.

At present he goes on with investigations culturing pearls in the following three directions:

Development of new technologies of culturing pearls with the use of various nacre mollusks incapable of creating pearls in nature;
Use of cultured tissues and development of device "Artificial Pearl Mollusk";
Development of methods of reproduction and acceleration in aragonite biocrystallization.
The second and the third will make it possible to culture pearls in unlimited quantities, of any given shape and quality without using mollusks.

Does anyone know any further information about this farm or it's development? Thanks

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Cam,

The technology that they are using is transplanting natural pearl sacs that they multiply by cutting them into smaller parts and growing them out again in petri dishes where the tissue closes again to form more sac like shapes. You can manipulate the final shape of the pearl sac that way. When the pearl sacs have the desired shapes, they are transplanted (homografted) to another shell where the actual pearl then grows. This method is acceptable even to the Bahrainis because the pearl sac originated naturally and all pearls spontaneously produced by such a pearl sac are technically indistinguishable from natural pearls. This method is also being used in Djibouti, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and China.

The Russian technology also includes some pearls where the pearl sac has been grown in culture medium for the entire process. This method may also yield pearls from molluscs that do not produce pearls in nature (at least not in any mentionable quantities) like the nautilus and round pearls from molluscs that typically are hard to obtain in vivo like abalones.

Zeide

[Caitlin]

Hi Cam
Great Article. Thanks for being our on site reporter! Is there any way you could visit this place and tell us more?

You are located in the best place for a unique pearl education! Keep the posts coming!

[Caitlin]

Hi Zeide
What an interesting tidbit! Pearl sack technology- I see it multiplying! (no pun intended!)

How far do you think they will be able to take the petri dish technology and how fast do you think it will happen?? I mean all the way to growing fullsize pearls?

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Caitlin,

They are already culturing full-size pearls in culture medium. However, in vitro pearl culturing is still an expensive high tech process. I would love to see some nautilus and placuna sella pearls grown that way. You cannot do it in a pond fertilized with pig manure, though.

Zeide

[Caitlin]

Hi Zeide
Isn't that something! I sure would like to see a picture of the test tube pearls.
What would a nautalis pearl look like? Kinda like a conch pearl?

Personally, when I get my little ditch of mussels going, the neighbors have plenty of pig manure-

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Caitlin,

The nautilus is nacreous with very strong iridescence. Think ammonites.

Zeide

[Cam Hatch]

Thanks for the info on the 'test tube' process! I'll definately be keeping an eye out for any other information about the farm. Will keep you all posted.