The Pearl Tribune - 2011

[CortezPearls]

Just recieved an e-mail from "The Pearl Tribune", a group effort from various South Sea & Tahitian Pearl Producers (mainly Jewelmer, Robert Wan Perles and Paspaley Pearls).
They have a brand new website "The Pearl Tribune" that some of you may find interesting...or not!

This is their introductory text:

World Premiere in the World of South sea Pearl
We are honoured to announce the birth of THE PEARL TRIBUNE dedicated to Sea water cultured Pearls. Under the patronage of three main actors of our industry: JEWELMER INTERNATIONAL, ROBERT WAN LUXURY LTD. & PASPALEY PEARLING COMPANY PTY LTD. This newsletter will inform & help commercial market players of retail so that they become an intermediary for the final client. Be informed by the best in order to create more for your own valued customers.


Cheers!

[Ramona]

This is a bit off-topic. But looking at the pictures on this website, I am wondering (again): Are there no women in this business?

[Caitlin]

What part of the business? There is Betty Sue King, Kari Anderson and Eve of the Pearl Society. Sarah C of Kojima. All very highly regarded in the industry. They are all in the wholesale and/or retail end, though. I forgot Gina La Tendresse of American Pearl Company. They do everything, they might even still be raising cultured American freshwater pearls. Jeremy used to use a Chinese woman as one of his contacts, I forget her name, though.

[Ramona]

I was thinking about the pearl farming business.

[Hanaleimom]

Madame Francoise Henri is a pearl farmer "perlicultrice": http://www.maisondelaperle.pf/wp-con..._102010_30.jpg

[Hanaleimom]

Madame Iris Bredin is another farmer http://www.maisondelaperle.pf/wp-con...102010_114.jpg

[Hanaleimom]

And Madame Haoatai http://www.maisondelaperle.pf/wp-con...102010_112.jpg. Not as large as Jewelmer and Mr. Wan, but female farmers exist.

[Ramona]

Great. Thanks.

[CortezPearls]

Interesting!!! I used to believe this was mainly an "All Boys Club" just like Ramona...of course I know Gina Lattendresse and believed she was an exception to the rule. But it is nice to know we don't have an exclusive group; from my viewpoint: more women = better for any industry (no pun intended, really...).

[GemGeek]

Why should the men have all the fun?

[Ramona]

I found some older news about another female farmer, Dora Fourcade. Does anybody know of her? Seems to live in California.
http://dorafourcadedesigns.com/press.html

[jshepherd]

I know her. She has a home in Santa Monica, California. We almost worked together once.

[CortezPearls]

What is her story Jeremy??? Does she still produce pearls??? Tahitian???

[jshepherd]

She and her brother bought Pacific Perles in the 1970's and she bought out her brother about 20 years later. The farms are on Aratika, and she is also (or at least was) partners with Gauguin on Rangiroa.

She contacted me quite a while back, maybe eight or nine years ago. She wanted to explore the possibility of selling pearls direct, online in the US. We met two or three times over lunch and started creating a plan for working together. After our last meeting she went back to Tahiti for a month and I got started on the site. That was the last time I heard from her. A few months later a website popped up owned by her (not the current DF Designs), but it wasn't a site that would go anywhere. I don't thing the construction was ever finished.

A very similar thing happened with Raymond Wohler, another farmer from Tahiti. In fact, almost the exact same scenario. I've never gone down that road again. I guess this just looks easy.

[CortezPearls]

Direct retailing through the internet seems easy...but it is not! Few people in the industry have been able to attain the success you have with PearlParadise.com

That is one magnificent achievement IMHO.