Cook Islands Pearling Developments

[SteveM]

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

 

[SteveM]

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.

 

[SteveM]

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.

 

[SteveM]

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.

 

[SteveM]

Limited edition ring from Bergman & Sons in Avarua.

 

[Sueki]

Hello Steve,
Lovely pearls.
Here are some of mine.

 

[KAC]

wow, I love that ring - I could even see that as a men's piece.

 

[SteveM]

Sueki

Precisely what Cook Islands has been lacking here! Where have they been? Any more out there? This appears to be Druzy/Carolyn, and I know she has a very good source?this proves it.

 

[Sueki]

Hi Steve,
Yes, it's from Druzy. And it's far nicer than my photos show. There are beautiful magenta overtones which my camera didn't get.
I've a Cook Island pendant, too.

 

[SteveM]

In the past few days I've had a wonderful exchange with a farmer on Manihiki, each message with a paragraph or two of enlightenment. In a somewhat logical order (although it seems as one coherent essay), I string the individual paragraphs together below. This is as ground-level as you can get, and will hopefully serve to put some beef on the bones of this thread?

If there is one place to see next time you're up is Penrhyn. In terms of unspoilt beauty, rich culture, fish in abundance long stretching wide sandy beach is your thing, then it's Penrhyn you need to visit. there is no luxury hotels/motels here, but is worth the visit. Then theres Manihiki, like Penrhyn it is unspoilt. Theres nothing to do but eat, sleep, swim fish. We get the odd tourist come through every now then otherwise it is the home of some 200 or so locals.

Some 5 years ago there were some 260 registered pearl farmers in manihiki. Today there is 76 registered but only a handful still practicing which means a huge potential for someone with foresight, determination and business knowledge to make it a lucrative business.

Armed with this information I have slowly been building my stock hopefully for good harvest early 2010. I am regularly hearing from other local farmers who get information from other locals preaching doom gloom in this industry. All very positive from where I sit as it means better available farming areas.

We in Manihiki are lucky in that our reef surrounds the lagoon with a few inlet which circulates fresh seawater. So in spawning season, we retain a lot of the eggs within the lagoon.

Their (Cook Islands Pearl Authority) latest plan is to introduce one grading system for this industry which will mirror that of Tahiti. This is a long time coming as the local farmers in Manihiki has caused some problems in New Zealand selling crappy pearls at stupid prices over the years. As a result, our Cook Island pearls are seen as inferior to that from Tahiti. In fact, its proven that our black lip shells retain a better colouring than found in Tahiti. This means that the colour of our pearls should in theory be of a better grade.

I'm trying to work out if its the small golden colored pearl you are most interested in [smetzler: the farmer refers to my fixation on poe pipi] or any gold colored. There is the possibility of producing gold colored pearls in Manihiki so long as we are able to access the shell for its colour. May not be in great numbers but is a possibility. I've experimented with a few of the gold colored shell and have harvested some nice looking pieces.

The mantle used to produce gold colored pearl is from a black lip shell. In many cases there are gold lip shells within this family so i used mantle from this. The pearls have come out gold/green, light gold. So its not a strong gold colour, very nice all the same. especially when everyone is trying to achieve the peacock green, rose hue etc.

Clearly a passionate new generation is beginning to take its turn on Manihiki! An auspicious moment for me to have become the 'messenger.'

Steve

 

[boo]

Wonderful news! Thank you so much for sharing, Steve.

 

[Caitlin]

Ditto. I am so glad you are in on it.

 

[john675]

It makes me want to go there. Those "long unspoilt beaches" sound very tempting after our long Rocky Mountain winter.
Thanks, Steve, for providing the narrative!
John

 

[pattye]

Thanks, Steve!

Makes me treasure my Cook Is. pearls even more!

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

 

[SteveM]

From Ben Bergman, designer of the ring:

One of my latest 'creations' is a pearl curtain 3391 pearls! Similar piece at Robert Wan, great way to use up all the low grades!

 

[Karl]

Steve:

That's some curtain, even using the "low" grade pearls!!

Like everyone here I'd like to thank you for keeping us informed of the happenings in the Cook Islands. Sounds like they are poised for a comeback.

Karl

 

[SteveM]

?keeping us informed of the happenings in the Cook Islands. Sounds like they are poised for a comeback.

Thanks Karl. My personal tendency has always been to seek information that is not generally available, and share. It is entirely up to the farmers on Manihiki to differentiate their product sufficiently (ie take full advantage of the more intense colors of their shells) in order to escape the Tahitian umbrella. As a far more limited source, lack of critical marketing mass could eventually be compensated by greater cach?. But unity among the farmers and the success of the pending CIPA (Cook Islands Pearl Authority) grading system must come first.

 

[robinmce]

Thank you for all this information Smeltzer. I understand both tahitian and Cook Island pearls are from P. margaritifera. Are there any differences in the pearls or pearl color?

 

[SteveM]

Thank you for all this information Smeltzer. I understand both tahitian and Cook Island pearls are from P. margaritifera. Are there any differences in the pearls or pearl color?

Yes, both are black pearls from P. margaritifera. There does seem to be a general consensus, albeit lacking any volume of evidence due to inconsistent farming over the years, that the shells in Manihiki offer more color variation and intensity?especially in the green/gold range?than those in French Polynesia. But it will be up to the new generation of farmers to exploit this, and market it properly. We're talking years, not months.