Gulf pearls?

[barbaradilek]

I had assumed from various articles that gulf pearls were synonymous with natural pearls,that cultured pearls were prohibited in the gulf states to to religious attitudes.However I have just read that a Pearl farm has been established in that area,offering cultured pearls for sale.Are cultured pearls generally acceptable in the GCC states,or will the Pearl farms wares be for export only?

 

[CortezPearls]

These are great questions Barbara. Wish I could tell you the answer to: Are cultured pearls generally acceptable in the UAE?
I have recently covered more recent news about the development of pearl farms in the Persian Gulf (check out this thread RAK Pearls: UAE pearl industry to rise from the depths after lost decades - Pearl-Guide.com) but you can obtain great information on the subject all the way to dear old Caitilin starting this thread back in 2013.

What I believe is that they are mostly a form of Touristic attraction designed to sell the pearls to tourists, but DANAT is also working on creating a "Sustainable Natural Pearl" in the region. Jeremy and I were on a CIBJO committee meeting just this morning and I will be appointed to the Sustainable Pearls sub-committee so I will be in touch (January 2022) with some of the people behind these efforts in the Persian Gulf and will probably be able to have more information.

 

[barbaradilek]

Thank you El Cortez for your prompt answer,and I will certainly look at the threads you suggest.The whole idea of a sustainable natural Pearl project is intriguing,and I think there are a lot of us that will be interested on how it works out.However beautiful a cultured Pearl is,the romance attached to a natural Pearl catches us suckers every time!