Pacific pearls history and archive photos

[kojimapearl]

I am home again in sunny California again, and as promised here are just a few of the HUNDREDS of old Pacific Pearl photos that I unearthed in Hong Kong this last trip.

Here is Fuji Voll as a baby in New York City 1949, with his mother Frieda Voll who is modeling a hair cap and several strand necklace made of cultured Burmese pearls. At this point Rudolf Voll had bought the entire harvest of these pearls and was trying with NO luck at all to sell them to jewelers in New York. He was soon to give up in New York and return to Tokyo where he sold these pearls to Japanese brokers, who in turn resold them to the very same jewelers in New York for a 10 times mark up! I wonder where they are now? I hope the people who own them know what they have~!

Next a couple of photos taken by Fuji's father Rudolf at the Tokyo pearl auction some time in the early 50's.

Sometime around 1953 Pacific Pearls Tokyo tried their hand at pearl farming. It was short-lived, but here are some of the photos. Rudolf standing in front of the farm.. and that's Fuji walking on the pile of Akoya shells, and as well fishing from the pier. Lastly Frieda with a handful of fresh pearls.

More photos to be shared. I love these old photographs.. really makes me think to be better at documenting.. Thanks to Rudolf Voll we still have these to enjoy!
Cheers, Sarah

 

[Katbran]

What fabulous photos Sarah! Thanks so much for sharing these! And look at that necklace! Holy Moly!

 

[Adeline Leigh]

Can I echo Kat? FABULOUS, Sarah; how wonderfully insightful and nostalgic and Burmese pearls (that's a first for me) ... Thanks so much for this and to the Voll family as well. Keep whatever you are doing going. Love love love Kojima and Pacific.

 

[GemGeek]

Very Very Cool!

 

[pattye]

Treasures, indeed, Sarah! Thanks very much to both you and Fuji for sharing them!! And looking forward to more when you have time~

 

[waimeamomi]

These are incredible. I'm so glad I got to meet Fuji last month, and omg - he looks just like that baby picture!!!

 

[pearlescence]

what happened to the Burmese pearl industry?

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

That's quite the shell midden that Fuji is walking on! Great photos, would enjoy seeing more.

 

[Nora]

what happened to the Burmese pearl industry?

The military government took over the business and ruined the quality.

Sarah, thank you for sharing. Would love to see more.

 

[Caitlin]

Brilliant! So glad we have this record of one of pearlings' finest families!!!

 

[Ash]

Thank you for sharing these Sarah!

Cheers

Ash

 

[kojimapearl]

I am glad you all enjoyed these like I have. There are so many more its difficult to choose.... Slowly slowly.
Wendy, I am not sure (nor is Fuji) why the Burmese pearl cultivation went under, but if I had to guess... It would be exactly what Nora said.
Cheers and happy pearling! Please don't forget to write on the back of all your old photos!

 

[pearlescence]

Thankyou for the Burma info Sarah and Nora. So there is potential there..worth remembering.

 

[kojimapearl]

never been a better time than the present

never been a better time than the present

Hello ... it's been way too long since I chimed in on Pearl-Guide.. but on my most recent trip to Japan and Hong Kong I found this strand tucked into the back of a safe. It made us laugh ... and left me with the reminder that pearls are, in general... more accessible to people around the world than ever before. This is a 7-7.5mm strand of metallic Chinese fresh water pearls was THANKFULLY labeled by Fuji's father Rudolf Voll (as were most things that ever happened near him . The label reads "cost HK$900 in 2001"... (HK$900 =US$115)
So that was obviously what seemed to him to be a very high price... or I doubt it would have warranted a label and being tucked away in the safe. I am not sure why it lived there for so long... but I was really happy to find it, and see proof that in the last twelve years the price of comparable material has fallen to approximately one fifth! To all my fellow dealers: the next time someone tells you the prices are high... smile and nod!.... and to all pearl lovers... enjoy the bounty of these sweet waters with reckless abandon for there has never been a better time than the present!
With warm regards, Sarah
P.S. that's still some amazing luster for 12 years of "shelf" life, eh?

 

[pattye]

Amazing! Just to know that far back someone sorted the metallics to make a strand at all! Glad you are having fun in the safe, Sarah! Keep finding all these wonderful goodies, we love them!

 

[GemGeek]

Thank for sharing!

 

[kojimapearl]

Pattye.. Yes they aren't really a new invention just that we didn't see so many of them then.
The sorting work was much better then.. It's harder for them to retain skilled sorters who really care about the finished product in China these days.
Nowadays .. It is so common to find mixed quality strands as they attempt to sell of the low and mid grade material with a couple of flashy pearls.
I was VERY surprised to see the luster had lasted so well.. As that's always been in the back of my mind about "metallics".
Wish I had an original photo of them!
Hope you're great!

 

[LitGeek]

Thanks for taking the time to share your photos with us

 

[BlackPearlDudeDC]

This is interesting to read and see. As over the years I've read opinions here on keeping pearls in safes/vaults.

Hello ... it's been way too long since I chimed in on Pearl-Guide.. but on my most recent trip to Japan and Hong Kong I found this strand tucked into the back of a safe. It made us laugh ... and left me with the reminder that pearls are, in general... more accessible to people around the world than ever before. This is a 7-7.5mm strand of metallic Chinese fresh water pearls was THANKFULLY labeled by Fuji's father Rudolf Voll (as were most things that ever happened near him . The label reads "cost HK$900 in 2001"... (HK$900 =US$115)
So that was obviously what seemed to him to be a very high price... or I doubt it would have warranted a label and being tucked away in the safe. I am not sure why it lived there for so long... but I was really happy to find it, and see proof that in the last twelve years the price of comparable material has fallen to approximately one fifth! To all my fellow dealers: the next time someone tells you the prices are high... smile and nod!.... and to all pearl lovers... enjoy the bounty of these sweet waters with reckless abandon for there has never been a better time than the present!
With warm regards, Sarah
P.S. that's still some amazing luster for 12 years of "shelf" life, eh?

 

[SunSeeker]

So glad this thread got bumped! What fabulous pictures!