Red sea pearls

[Dizzie]

Lately I got to hear often about the Red sea pearls. However when I did a search on them, I did not find so much about their quality and application.

The ones I have seen were looking like steel-grey tahitians. Looking in Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_oyster), I found that there are two types of mussels there: Pinctada radiata and pinctada fucata.
As I would not expect Akoya oyster to produce anything above 10 mm, i guess those pearl came out of the former.

It would be great to hear more about the red sea pearls.

Thank you

 

[Dizzie]

Pinctada Radiata seems to be correct - http://www.kasparek-verlag.de/PDFs/067-074 Wronski.pdf

Boy, I am reading articles on marine zoology

 

[Caitlin]

mollusks. Mussels produce freshwater pearl.

Pinctada radiata is also the Persian gulf pearl. radiata and fucata are closely related, perhaps the same species. Radiatas do not produce very large pearls either. The Persian gulf, at least, has pinctada margaritiferia as a second less important species.

 

[Cyril Roger Brossard]

Hi, you might be interested to read this: link here.

and this is what I thought about the overall setup/location: link here.

Now based on the above, I conjectured two possible source of pearls the first is considering that the countries of the Arabian Gulf are endowed with pearl oyster resources that have been exploited for natural pearls from time immemorial, and they have depended on these marine economic resources. Egyptian women had pearls in their jewellery as early as 1,500 B.C. and the early Arabian geographer Massoudi noted the existence of Gulf pearls in the 9th century (SHARABATI 1981). As early as the 3rd century B.C., Nearchus reported that, in the Red Sea, pearls occur most extensively around the Dahlak and the Farasan Islands in the southern part of the Red Sea (SHARABATI 1981). (Torsten Wronski, 2010)
Then, in 1500BC, Egypt already had a blooming trade with Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Indus Valley Civilization, could it be that early Egyptian women wore pearls issued from trade with India?

The second possible source is that the pearls in question (40BC) originated from the Red sea, that is from natural seabed of either Pinctada radiata or from Pinctada margaritifera (Linnaeus, 1758), (also referred to as Meleagrina margaritifera or Pteria margaritifera). (Hasan, 1974 and 1983) (AL-KHAYAT & AL-ANSI 2008).
References to Alexandria being suitable for this species tend to confirm the above.
The distribution of the population shows that Pinctada radiata represent 95% of the natural population with a distinct predominance from shallower water than Pinctada margaritifera. The later shares the deeper water with Pteria aegyptiaca (Dillwyn, 1817). I do not know how deep could divers go 40BC but logic tends to point to pearl produced by Pinctada radiata, but again this is a conjecture...
It seems as well that the Farasan islands are predisposed as a perfect biome for the pearl producing species above mentioned. Descriptions make mention of high salinity, constant temperature and presence of Avicennia spp. or Rhizophora spp., mean to say fast growth rate expected...

please take note that the above is purely an academic opinion based on some research.

 

[Dizzie]

Cool, so there are molusks to produce the pearls there.

Thank you Cailin and Cyril

Now, do you guys happen to know whether Red sea pearl play any role in the jewellery industry? Everyone knows about tahitians, SS or even Fiji pearls, but not about red sea. Is it a quantity or quality issue or both?

 

[Cyril Roger Brossard]

Cool, so there are molusks to produce the pearls there.

Thank you Cailin and Cyril

Now, do you guys happen to know whether Red sea pearl play any role in the jewellery industry? Everyone knows about tahitians, SS or even Fiji pearls, but not about red sea. Is it a quantity or quality issue or both?

most welcome.
Caitlin might have more info, sadly on my side I have only a few references for the Red Sea : Jackson, 1916; Monfreid, 1937; and Webster, 1978.
As for the rest of the Gulf, in December 2007, the Dubai Multi Commodoties Centre began promoting its pearls** in conjunction with Paspaley Pearls (Australia). It is made mention of a report (2008) about a single farm venture off Ras al-Khaimah, UAE, with an alledged production of 40,000 pearls per annum using presumably Pinctada radiata.



**Launched in 2008 by DMCC, with its subsidiary, Dubai Pearl Exchange (DPE), Pearl Essence was the world’s first global pearl jewellery design program, created to celebrate and promote the usage of pearls in jewellery design. Influenced by the UAE’s rich pearling heritage, and represented in a modern and contemporary fashion, the program brought together and promoted different categories of pearls at a global level, while revitalizing the Middle East’s leadership status in the pearl sector and re-establishing Dubai as a centre for the global pearl trade.

Spanning a broad geographical market, the program was open to final year students from schools that offer a minimum two-year full time jewellery design course, and provided unique opportunities for networking between young talent and established professionals.

I have no confirmation that there is really a local production. Trade reports for the Gulf do not specify what is the share of the local market versus foreign market.

 

[Caitlin]

Hi
P-G's member Donzi 32 lives over there and found that there is one fairly new pearl farm , the one Cyril mentioned, Ras al-Khaimah, UAE, Known as RAK. They are extremely exclusive and none of their pearls has made it onto the open market, yet, they are being grabbed up by people with lots of $$$$.

There were some rumors from someone who wanted to start a farm in the Red Sea, but nothing else, so far. I believe pearls from there are few and far between and always have been, compared to the Gulf. There was never a pearling industry in the Red Sea that came near the Gulf's production.

This is a very interesting subject and it would be great if we found someone who can go check in person, as Donzi32 did in the UAE.

 

[Cyril Roger Brossard]

Rak pearls Pearl Farm is the only company in Ras Al Khaimah that produces cultured pearls. The company stands to its corporate slogan which is "Reviving Pearling Industry Luster". With this mission, Pearl Farm combines science and traditional technique in producing high quality cultured pearls through the technical support of its Japanese partners.

At present, Pearl farms capacity is 200000 and plans for further expansion.

Its products undergo stringent quality control checking its luster, surface, shape, color and size. The goal of Pearl Farm is not just to produce large quantity of pearls but generate high quality pearls.

Its management is composed of professional individuals that monitor the requirements of the market and highly qualified team of pearl experts that takes care of the high standard of Pearl Farm's products.



all above available here.