Pearls of the Orient
As published in the February 2009 issue of Washington Life Magazine.
While on a world tour to the epicenters of the pearl industry, jeweler Jorge Adeler recounts his life-changing experiences in the Far East.
As a jeweler, it’s important for me to understand a gem’s origin, culture, and emotion. Only then do I feel I can communicate its secrets and mysteries and create jewelry with purpose. On my 15-day world journey, I was able to see first-hand the history and development of the golden pearls of the South Pacific, the Akoya pearls of Japan, and the freshwater and Tahitian black pearls of China.
Manila, Philippines
When I arrived at Flower Island in Palawan, I could see the endless span of islands, beaches, and sea. It’s no wonder some of the most perfect pearls originate from this region. While there I was given the opportunity to study the golden pearls of the Philippines and South Sea at the Jewelmer International Corporation Pearl Farms. I took over 400 photos of the complex operations required for the cultivation of the ideal golden pearl, which includes more than 316 interactions between the oyster and humans required over a 5 year period. From the surgical implantations of muscles and mother pearls, the process of cultivating a single pearl is exhaustive and puts in perspective a single pearl necklace, which requires over 22,000 pearls in order to find a perfect strand.
Osaka, Japan
In the late 1800s, Kokichi Mikimoto discovered the technique of cultivating pearls with farmed oysters by insertion and gave rise to the cultured pearl industry. Toba, where the famous island of Mikimoto resides, is a tribute to this man, who through his perseverance and effort, created a treasured industry. While on Mikimoto Pearl Island, I watched the women dive for oysters, known locally as ama, and admired the challenge of producing pearls. While the type of oysters needed for Akoya pearls differs from those for the golden pearls, the process of raising oysters and the surgery required to implant the nuclei into the mollusk remains the same and spans across the world.
Hong Kong, China
My journey ended at the Hong Kong Jewelry and Watch Fair where met Robert Wang, the “godfather” of the Tahitian black pearl. No one in the world of French Polynesian pearls has more influential power and only a small group of elite wholesale jewelers are invited to his world-famous auctions. With the help of the Gemological Institute of America, I was granted the privilege of attending one of the auctions. My emotions were difficult to contain as I presented my sealed bids and it’s impossible to describe my happiness when I found out I’d won 60 percent of my bids. As a sign of gratitude for this opportunity, I told Wang I would design a necklace in his name for charity. He thanked me, giving me the honor of selecting the charity of my choice in the U.S. to receive the donation. The museum of the Gemological Institute of America, the organization who helped me get in touch with Wan, accepted the honorable gift.
My time traveling to the epicenters of the pearl industry was better than I could have dreamt. To anyone who doubts what I express, I challenge them to extend their hands, and let me fill them with a handful of golden, Akoya, or multicolor freshwater pearls. Almost anyone will agree with me that from the many gifts that God gives us, the pearl falls very close to perfection.
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