CIBJO’s Pearl Commission releases special report

The Pearl Commission of CIBJO, The World Jewellery Confederation has incorporated some amendments to the Pearl Blue Book and has published them in its special report. It has released its report ahead of the 2010 CIBJO Congress, slated for February 19 in Munich, Germany.

The amendments that had been ratified at the 2009 Congress in Istanbul included a requirement to disclose a treatment achieved during the "Akoya" cultured pearl's growth as "colour induced cultured pearls." The treatment consists of injecting metal fluids into the pearl's sac to induce varying colours, depending on the metal used.

A new definition for Keshi cultured pearls has been mentioned to a trade term that designates a non-beaded cultured pearl formed accidentally or intentionally by human intervention in marine pearl oysters such as the Akoya oyster, Silver/Gold lipped oyster, Black lipped oyster and freshwater molluscs.

Changes have also been made to Clause 4.2.8 in the Blue Book, which states that when making reference to a saltwater cultured pearl the words "cultured pearl" needs to be preceded by the word "saltwater." The report also notes discussion on the need to start working on a detailed coding system for the different types of pearls and their treatments, similar to the coding system being developed by CIBJO's Coloured Stone Commission.