Cook Islands Pearling Developments

[smetzler]

Hi Steve
All I know about pearling in the Cook islands, I got from you. But I don't have an overview or the big picture. Can you possibly make a few posts now and then about it?

Caitlin, the 'Pinctada Maculata' thread has been dormant for some months having promised more news from the Cooks when available. With the pending announcement of a new grading system (supposedly without mention of the term 'orient'!) and return to health of the Manihiki Lagoon following major hurricanes in the 90s and mismanagement in the early 2000s, the timing could be good. It also sadly seems that vestiges of natural poe pipi collection on Penrhyn have vaporized, which will at least result in complete focus on the blacks. The challenge is how to create a niche market distinct to the far larger Tahitian industry, while keeping Japanese and Chinese influence to a minimum.

I'll start a new thread by repeating this post under cultured pearls, and try to encourage independent contribution in addition to whatever comes my way. As I mentioned towards the end of Pinctada Maculata, I truly am not a paid PR agent for the Cook Islands!

Here is also a link to the thread featuring my wife's Cook Islands bracelet of giant keshi, as it represents a wide color range typical of Manihiki lagoon.

[Bodecia]

Hi smetzler,

Love the Keishi (keshi) bracelet. I do have a love of keishi and those are stunning. Do you have more photos of Cook Island pearls that you could post for us? I have 2 or 3 Cook Island pearls myself but generally we don't see much of them. One seller told me they could be classed as Tahitian but I am not sure about that. I believe some sellers at least on eBay sell them occasionally as Tahitians, so would this be legal.

Can you tell us more about them, how long they have been cultured, sizes, prices in comparison to similiar pearls, the farms etc. How many of them are produced in a year app. I believe the output is not high.
Love to hear more this time around.

Bodecia

[smetzler]

Love to hear more this time around.

The Cook Islands/Manihiki pearl harvest is not that large, although it does rank second only to tourism in importance to the local economy.This is a start, giving a rough timeline (update: Penryhn lagoon has been almost totally abandoned, leaving Manihiki with the monopoly).
Pearl World featured the Cook Islands last year (backissues are likely available), with yours truly as featured 'pearl nut', editor Bo Torrey having a soft spot in his heart since a visit there in the mid-90s. As the oyster, P. margaritifera, is the same as in Tahiti, any differences result from water conditions and farming techniques. The range of sizes and colors (and prices) is comparable to Tahiti, CI with a greater tendency towards green in its exotics.

Chinese and Japanese merchants purchasing the bulk of the harvest are certainly known to offer Cook Islands pearls to the world as Tahitian. There are plenty of challenges ahead—let's hope this thread attracts some local input for the best information.

[smetzler]

I've noticed Druzy Designs has featured Cook Islands pearls (excellent quality) and hope that Carolyn Ehret will be able to add her experiences in here, or allow me to pass along anything of interest.

Also, just to keep things moving, I remembered I had these photos which were sent from the 2007 harvest at Tukoa Bay, Manihiki, by Ben Bergman of Bergman & Sons, Rarotonga. This is the harvest where the keshi for the bracelet in the thread linked in the first post above were found.

[smetzler]

Color, from the 2006 harvest. No need for a plane ticket…these just walked in the door—a cold call from a Manihikian farmer (should try to find that farmer!). I recall quite a sense of excitement from the jeweler at the time.

[smetzler]

Limited edition ring from Bergman & Sons in Avarua.

[CLICLASP]

Let's go further about quality
Tahiti farmers claim to produce pearls with a 0,8 mm nacre thick cover and CI is said to have "only" 0,3 mm.

Can a CI pearl farmer confirm lower thickness?
If I were that farmer, I would provide and claim for equal or higher quality to compete...

About colors, I saw some differences that collectors are very found of and that's why I bought my Rarotongo pearls for a very dark tone.

Anyway I had been so surprised to come across white Tahiti keshis ounce, that I brought the question on to the forum.
Jeremy said white pearls happen in Tahiti and are then exported to Australia, and reverse !!
So colors and origin .... very difficult question .
Unless buying at pearl farm to be sure, ounce on wholesale market no guarantee, I guess.

Same for origin of diamond, it is said that only Golconde mine ones can claim for being specific... all mined out ...

[jshepherd]

Jeremy said white pearls happen in Tahiti and are then exported to Australia, and reverse !!

I am trying to find this quote in context somewhere and cannot seem to dig it up. I remember this comment specifically from Z., but not posting it myself.

[Slraep]

I am trying to find this quote in context somewhere and cannot seem to dig it up. I remember this comment specifically from Z., but not posting it myself.

Yes, it's definitely some questionable drivel from Z.

I have a private post where Z imagines she is the lucky recipient of smuggled "giant" white Tahitian keshis gleened by migrant Indonesian pearl farm workers in French Polynesia. Of course, she sent me a pic of white baroque CFWPs.

Slraep

[Pearlgully]

About eight years ago, I purchased a strand of white South Sea baroque pearls; not baroque in the true sense but symetrical in shape. I asked the dealer where they were from and she said Tahiti. Although, I've known that white pearls can come from the French Polynesian islands (I saw them when I was there), I've wondered whether the dealer knew what she was talking about. Does anyone know if there is a way to tell where the pearls are from? Is a lab able to determine this? I hope they really are white Tahitians; to me that would be very special.

(This probably isn't the correct thread for this post so Caitin, please move it if you see fit.)

Gail

[Pearling Technologies]

Here's some information straight from the oyster's mouth (so to speak)

1. Average nacre thickness in Cooks 1.2mm
2. Average grafts per oyster - 2
3. Typically first is best for lustre and second for size. Second also has higher % of rounds.

They have the Marine and Island Council Pearl Farming specs to go by which dictates how long before harvest, by which technician, dates, etc.

Also from the oysters mouth.....
"Tahiti has been bombarding the world with their new system of marketing/exporting their pearls of only grades ABC and no D's or LQ's. Amazing how grades D become C and LQ also become C grades. I have seen them at the USA jem shows and even HK"

Don't shoot the messenger!!

[Josh]

Hi Cliclasp, George and Steve,
Cliclasp, I agree with you when you say that beautiful pearls come from everywhere. I think the Cook Islanders would do well to regulate their industry as we had to do here in Tahiti. The .8mm was a good starting point but the industry is definitely crying out for more regulation than that though. So maybe that as a first start then have a look at what the Sea of Cortez guys are doing from a marketing point of view.
As for colors, the range we get here is expansive from the darkest dark to the lightest white and every imaginable color in between. The southern most islands are known more for their pastels while the northern most atolls are famous for their rich darker colors. I'll stick my neck out and say that the Cooks probably have very similar if not the same diversity in their pearls.
Oysters here are grafted twice usually but a third graft is not uncommon. As much as five successive grafts have been performed on the same oyster (on my farm a few others).
The best quality is in the first graft without a doubt. The most expensive of course being in the later grafts with the rapidly increasing pearl size and increasing roundness.

[pattye]

Hi Josh,

Elaine Wootten has a gorgeous necklace from you she calls tutti-frutti because of all the intense, varied colors. The pearls are in the 10-11mm size as I recall. Would those pearls be most likely first graft? Perhaps you remember the piece? As I recall, the pearls were round, not baroque. Thanks in advance for your reply!

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[pattye]

I don't specifically remember that quote, but in the GIA pearl grading course I took earlier this year the instructor said that white pearls do sometimes occur in Tahitians and are sold as SS, and the reverse also.

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[Pearling Technologies]

I have heard however that the problem with the Cook pearls is that on average they are too small and colours too much on the gray scale. If they can rectify these issues and focus on larger, better quality and more colourful pearls, then they will have more market presence.

I had actually started a PhD in pearl marketing, the issue of colour and branding aspects during my Indonesian sabbatical although time got away from me!!