Josh/Kamoka Pearl fans

[Mervione]

Ugh.

This message is supposed to be only 4 signs but I need ten.

 

[GemGeek]

The lady in the poster was at their booth, wearing the necklace, when we went to the gemfaire in Santa Monica. I couldn't stop looking at her because she was so beautiful.

 

[Caitlin]

I'll never forget the young woman in the booth either. Goddess-like. And their pearls were beautiful too. Several of us hung out at their booth for a spell. Remember that super-long Tahitian rope?

But they aren't the ones lucky enough to partner up with Pearl Paradise. Will there be some photos of Josh's atoll in that section, or at least a link over here to a new thread full of relevant photos. Josh's, of course. Maybe an article in the p-g news/article section, with lots of pictures demonstrating how the greenness works with links from PP?

 

[Josh]

Thank you everyone for the kind words again.
The good people at Tahiti Pearl Market have been buyers of ours too for quite some time. There is an excellent chance you saw some Kamoka pearls when you all stopped by their booth.
Caitlin the photo essay idea explaining the following (as taken from the PP site) is a great idea. I just have to get some new material together to make it different from the Kamoka website.

We are proud to announce our recent partnership with a small Tahitian pearl farm on the French Polynesian atoll of Ahe. This farm, called Kamoka, grows fine Tahitian pearls in one of the world’s most beautiful natural settings.

The Kamoka Tahitian pearl farm specializes in farming pearls using only the most ecological and sustainable practices. This truly green pearl farm is as concerned about their environmental footprint as the beauty of the pearls they produce. They are one of the only Tahitian pearl farms in French Polynesia to recycle local mother of pearl as nuclei in the pearl grafting process, their oysters are cleaned by the gentle nibbling of the lagoon's fish populations and the energy needs come almost entirely from wind and solar power.

Kamoka is dedicated to fair wages, fair working conditions and fair dealings with their wholesale clients. This is something we at Pearl Paradise have come to greatly respect, and we are very proud to partner with such an organization.

 

[Johanna]

Great to see jewelers with concern for their staff and the environment!

 

[waimeamomi]

The good people at Tahiti Pearl Market have been buyers of ours too for quite some time. There is an excellent chance you saw some Kamoka pearls when you all stopped by their booth.


Maybe that's why these match. I bought 2 of them at the Faire during the ruckus. I had mixed emotions, but they were beautiful and the guy told me he knew Josh, and that the pearls had come from Ahe.

Sunday I went through Josh's stash (somewhat depleted by our Host with the Most) and knew I had found a good one when Josh asked, "Where did you get that pearl?" and then called Sarah over to look at it. The 2 Pearl Mart pearls are rounds and perfect for studs. The Kamoka is actually a baroque with a large round top (sort of light bulb shaped) and perfect for a ring. Can you tell which is which?
P.S. Even more amazing in person!

 

[GemGeek]

Congratulations. I hope you will keep these treasures for yourself!

 

[pattye]

Yes, treasures indeed!

 

[waimeamomi]

I wish the pictures would ever do them justice. You lose just that edge of quality. The real treasure was the weekend, and I will always keep that!

 

[Josh]

Long lost pearl kin! I love it.

 

[waimeamomi]

I'm going to set the 2 round ones as studs and send them to their next home, but the Ruckus pearl I think is destined to be a ring for moi as a reminder. When Josh saw it he looked at me (with only sort of bleary eyes) and said "You have to keep this one." He is the guru, and I must follow orders. That what I told my husband, and I'm sticking to it!!

 

[GemGeek]

I look forward to seeing you wear it. How fun!

 

[Precious Pearl]

I'm going to set the 2 round ones as studs and send them to their next home, but the Ruckus pearl I think is destined to be a ring for moi as a reminder. When Josh saw it he looked at me (with only sort of bleary eyes) and said "You have to keep this one." He is the guru, and I must follow orders. That what I told my husband, and I'm sticking to it!!

Your pearls are absolutely stunning!!!!!

 

[Josh]

Excellent. Stoked to hear it will be staying in the family.

 

[Heidi]

Sheryl -

I am catching up on threads and finally got to see the photos of these lovely pearls. WOW! So glad you will keep them safe and loved.

Josh -

Do you do something extra, extra special to your industrious molluscs? Simply stunning quality!

 

[Josh]

Heidi, great question.

Yes, we do do something extra. We farm with love and respect. For the oysters, for each other and for our marine environment.

We do everything we can to minimize the stress of the operation on the oyster. A good example is how we clean the oysters by placing them in zones where the fish populations are strong so they can be gently nibbled clean. Most farms clean their oysters by blasting them with high pressure hoses which is stressful to the molluscs and polluting to the lagoon.

A harmonious, fun atmosphere is essential as well to quality work. When people are good it gets passed on down all the way to the pearl.

For eight years I sat at my grafting table grafting oysters and one thing I can tell you with absolute certainty is that the oysters actually reflect the mood of the grafter. I know that sounds crazy but over and over I noticed that when I was good, they were too and when I wasn't they would show me they weren't by contracting quickly thus making them more difficult to graft.

 

[Heidi]

Great answer Josh, thank you!

There is much to be said, for sure. Without getting too far into it, there is enough of a correlation in our own health between our emotional physical states that I completely trust your take on how grafting works. Not to mention the real benefits of caring for the entire environment the oysters are living in. I was just looking at photos of your pearls again and the luster and colors are simply amazing - they really do stand out.

 

[waimeamomi]

I tell my customers that Kamoka pearls are a reflection of the care that Josh and crew give to their environment and to each other. What goes around comes around, and I really believe there is give back from the oysters, the water, the plankton, the air, everything that you are treating with love and respect, Josh.

 

[Josh]

Thank you Heidi and Sheryl. People like you make the tough times a little easier for us.

 

[Ramona]

Well, when I look at your pearls you must be in a good mood often. It's late and for some reason I keep on thinking about the Happy Cow commercial.