This document provides an overview of pearls and the pearl industry. It discusses trends in pearls being popular with women, brands, and designers. It highlights several luxury brands that are prominently featuring pearls in their recent jewelry collections, including Chaumet, Bvlgari, Hermès, and Chanel. The document also mentions several celebrities wearing pearls to film festivals and awards shows. In addition, it provides biographies of the editor and contributor of the pearl industry newsletter.

1. october, november, 2011- n°1
All you wAnted to know About peArls And more
The besT AusTrAliAn peArls
MAruTeA, The besT of TAhiTi
sAgA of The golden peArl
Star In Pearls
Haute JoaIllerIe
by Chaumet & Chanel
Bvlgari: It’s Pearl time!
a premiere at Hermès

2. the Pearl tribute
We choose for a cover the advertising of the american company assael to honour a
great man and pioneer: Salvador assael who have left us recently
edItorIal
Why this Pearl tribune ?...
...as you have noticed we are inunda-
ted with newsletters about diamonds, Bee my love
New collection by Chaumet
colored stones, precious metals and
hardly anything about pearls, which
today, is one of the few expanding
markets in the jewelry business.
there are three main reasons—among dozens of others— the South Sea and tahitian Pearls, our industry would
that sparked the idea for this project. First, pearls never suffer from the consequences. With your help and the in-
had it so good. they are trendy, fun, and very popular formation you provide, we are confident this new media
with women, brands, designers, and the list goes inde- outlet will serve as an invaluable tool for improving our
finitely on. In short, the time to profit from this oppor- visibility on multiple levels. our newsletter is meant to be
tunity is now; it is our duty. Nonetheless, it is surprising your tribune. I talk to producers, wholesalers, designers,
that retailers and consumers are not familiar with South retailers, and the press, and I now invite you to enrich
Sea Pearls in general, and there is a lot of uncertainty the content of this newsletter by sharing any relevant
regarding their origin, quality, and color—are they natu- information. and do not forget that we are not here to
ral or dyed? Moreover, the competition is fierce, primarily criticize, complain, or downplay but rather to promote an
from the producers of freshwater pearls. If we did not intrinsically beautiful and luxurious product that is truly
give facts and good reasons justifying the high prices of one of Nature’s most marvelous gifts.
Didier BRODBECK
Contact:
Contribution/translation: Nicolas MARTINON
Nicolas MartINoN – nmartinon77@gmail.com
didier BrodBeCk – didier.brodbeck@gmail.com Jessica Volz
www.the-pearl-tribune.com aimée CHarreSt
Born in France in 1941, dIdIer BrodBeCk received his MBa from INSead in Fontainebleau, outside of Paris. drawn towards the
creative, Brodbeck began his career in advertising, working with agencies ted Bates, Benton & Bowles and J Walter thompson. during
this twenty-year span, Brodbeck specialized in luxury brands, including rolex, de Beers, Guerlain perfume, Bordeaux wines and champa-
gne. a long-time journalist and writer, didier Brodbeck is the author of a dozen books on watches, pearls, diamonds, and counterfeited
goods, including le diamant dans tout son éclat, Bijoux, Chic et toc – the real Book of Fakes, Faux ou Vrais – the Counterfeiting of
Brands and most recently the Miracle of the Gold Pearl. as publisher, didier Brodbeck created Heure magazine (men’s watches), tendan-
ces (an “art de vivre” magazine) and A World of Dreams, the first French magazine dedicated to watches and jewelry. Brodbeck also serves
as a consultant for the luxury goods industry.
NIColaS MartINoN is the former General Manager of one of the european leading company in cultured pearls (Maison Schmittgall;
Paris). His experience in the trade of the pearl is unique. He gained an experience for 20 years, traveling the world in search of the best
partnership and allowed his company to quickly reach top ranks in europe. all these years allowed him to weave single network with
leading international experts. attending the most famous jewelry shows and auctions such as Hong kong, tokyo & kobe, Basel, Papeete...
p.2
live his passion & work with constant guidelines as respect each other and our environment.

3. NeWS
TahiTian Pearls To Crown naTional «Miss» PageanTs
a
few months ago, robert Wan sponsored the
Miss China pageant in Shenzhen. French
designer Philippe Bouasse, winner of the tahitian
Pearl trophy, was given the delicate task of desi-
gning and creating the tiara to be worn by the
lucky winner. In russia similarly, this honour was
bestowed upon the Moscow-based Jewelry thea-
ter who created a stunning tahitian Pearl diadem
for Miss russia’s crown. Within twenty years
only, the magnificent Tahitian has more than ear-
ned its stripes and is frequently chosen by Hol-
lywood stars and celebrities to walk down the red
carpet. and the winner is.... the tahitian Pearl.
miss china
& russia
CoVer Story
OriOn n° 302 Trends and cOlOrs n° 291 le BijOuTier n° 780 dreams n° 54 Solitaire n° 47
Cover: Jewelmer ring Golden opportunities 50 th anniversary tahiti Pearl Special Pearl issue the Pearl rush
p 54-55 p 25-37 p 57-84 p 100-125 p.3

4. PeoPle IN PearlS
rare pearls at the deauville american Film Festival
t
hose of us who have been around long is famous for her pearl penchant which she
enough to know that Pearls can never go took with her to the IMF in Washington dC.
out of fashion will have enjoyed the further proof In tony kaye’s detachment, former Charlie’s
of the growing popularity of these jewels as seen angel and ally McBeal foe, lucy liu exhibits
at this year’s american Film Festival. Whether a stunning tahitian Pearl necklace. detach-
they are tahitian ment received
black, Philippine a standing ova-
gold or South tion following
Sea australian the premiere of
white, stylists on the movie in the
both sides of the presence of the
atlantic seem director to whom
more and more we owe ameri-
committed to can History X
adorning stars among other.
and characters the movie is a
with these mys- serious conten-
tical orbs. In the der for best film
film Too Big to in the deauville
Fail (debacle a competition. Fi-
Wall Street) that nally, during a
brilliantly tells tribute to Naomi
the story of the Watts we spotted
2008 financial the australian
crisis we see the former speaker of the house, star in a dramatic black pearl chocker. For the
Nancy Pelosi (played by actress linda Glick) longest time pearls have played an important
sport a beautiful multi-coloured pearl nec- role adorning muses and deities in the fine arts
klace. In the same movie the French finance and we are not surprised to see them claim their
minister Christine lagarde (played by actress well-deserved place also on the silver screen.
laila robbins) is wearing a tahitian pearl nec-
klace. In the real world Christine lagarde Jana BRODBECK – reporting from Deauville
p.4

5. PeoPle IN PearlS
they love them, they wear them
Michelle OBAMA
«Same look, same
smile, same Pearls
around her neck. The
first Lady is so chic!»
chArlène
WittstOck
«The winds of change
are blowing across the
Mediterranean... Monaco
‘crowns’ its new princess,
Charlene Wittstock, 33,
who chose a necklace
of cultured Tahitian pearls
(from Maison Repossi). A
little sweetness...»
WhO is she ?
«Here is the first official
just MArried... in AustrAliAn peArl snapshot of Meryl Streep
as the ‘Iron Lady.’ The
Last march, under a wonderful sunny & blue South shooting of the film
African’s sky, Mademoiselle Jana Theron, said «Oui!» to based on the life of
Monsieur Alexandre Brodbeck. The future Madame Margaret Thatcher started
Brodbeck made a tribute to her father in law (also co-foun- in January. In this picture,
der of The Pearl Tribune). She chose to exclusively wear we are reminded that the
white cultured Pearls: A wonderful necklace & a pair ‘Iron Lady’ is wearing a
of earings with Australian South Sea Pearls. «II must admit South Sea cultured pearl
that my son Alexandre has found in Jana a rare pearl.» necklace and perhaps
told us Didier Brodbeck. pearl earrings as well.
Madame Meryl Streep is
truly a first-class artist.»
lAdy gAgA
«Lady GAGA
dripping with pearls...»
BAselWOrld directOr
Sylvie Ritter during her speech at the press conference for 4 OscArs fOr A king
the opening of Baselworld 2011, Show wore a beautiful nec-
klace in Tahitian pearls. Basel 2011 was a success and that felt in Noblesse oblige!. Helena Bonham Carter, who
terms of morale both exhibitors andvisitors. Attendance re- plays the queen (mother) Elizabeth in « The King’s
cords were again beaten. The crisis seems a distant memo- Speech » by Tom Hooper, displays its discreet charm
ryand with regard to the pearling industry, wholesalers have and sensuality with these simple strings of pearls. Hat
worked well and we were able to attend a quality pre- from Jeanny Beaven, the chief costume designer for
mium. The high end is attracting an increasingly affluent clien- having so successfully translate the elegance of the
tele looking for beautiful pearls, whether white, gray or brown. first lady of England in the thirties.
Nathalie COupEz
p.5

6. SCooP
It’s pearl time for Bvlgari
Mediterranean eden, the new crea- Gold, pearls, stones. Mediterranean eden is clothed in
a rose gold or white gold case weighing 60 grams, and
tion paying tribute to the original
is distinguished by the craftsmanship evidenced in its
values of the House of Bulgari, lies
finely chased cover. Its motifs, evoking the warm ara-
at the crossroads between watch ma- besques of Mediterranean architecture, are set with a
king and jewellery and is entirely in pearl for the first rose gold version; or with 4 round
line with this rich and dense heritage brilliant-cut diamonds (0.58cts), 58 brilliant-cut dia-
that has strongly guided and nurtu- monds (0.45cts) and 6 pearls for the second white
gold version. In its multi-coloured interpretation, the
red the brand’s creative approach.
richest of all, the cover of the Mediterranean eden
watch is adorned with 3 round brilliant-cut diamonds
(0.34cts), 132 brilliant-cut diamonds (1.1cts), delicately
highlighted by 10 generously sized coloured stones:
amethyst, tourmaline, citrine, peridot and topaz lend a
distinctive and original dimension to this magnificent
composition. the crown of each variation is set with a
cabochon-cut stone – a pearl for the first two versions,
and a tourmaline for the multi-coloured model. a pearl
is like a verb that we can combine to infinity. It gives
opportunity to all designers and artists to express a part
of their personal dreams; to finally enhance women’s
beauty all around the world.
p.6

7. a premiere at Hermès
Hermès has always
being famous for
their silver jewel-
lery inspired by
horse riding, boating,
yachting…
a couple of years ago, the creative director of the shoe
department has been chosen to oversea the jewellery
design. last year, Hermès has launched a collection of
gold and diamond jewellery which they have cleverly
called “Haute Bijouterie”, which means the go between
jewellery and High end one.
When we met Pierre Hardy at the recent presentation
for the press of the new collection, we were happily
surprised that Hermès is now into pearls. discussing
with the creator Pierre Hardy admitted that he was a
true lover of pearls and promised that we will see more
pearls in the future collection.
We cannot wait to discover… D.B.
p.7

8. Haute JoaIllerIe
Chaumet says it with pearls….
at once airy and poetic, a symbol of
strength and of tenderness, the
bee takes us to the heart of
Chaumet’s savoir-faire, thanks to the
new Bee my love collection.
an emblem of Napoleon I and a motif subsequently ne setters, and polishers--all who perpetuate Chaumet’s
adopted by his official jeweler, the bee, together with tradition of excellence in the workshops at 12, Place
the «attrape-moi si... tu m’aimes» collection and slo- Vendôme.
gan, has resurfaced as a Chaumet icon embodying the
game of love and emotions, along with the power of the Chaumet’s commitment: «Save the Bees»
hive. as a tribute to these winged inspirations, Chaumet Still, just as precious to Chaumet are the real-life
has reused the honeycomb structure of the hive in its pollinators and makers of honey themselves, which it
creation of thirty pieces of jewelry and Haute Joaillerie supports in conjunction with the terre d’abeilles as-
featuring the bee: tiaras, necklaces, watches, pendant sociation’s «Save the Bees» campaign. Chaumet proves
earrings, rings, and brooches. In order to incorporate an ecological commitment and exceptional expertise in
the bee in a stylistic fashion, Chaumet called upon all luxury jewelry can work together; after all, they use the
the necessary persons of talent: designers, jewelers, sto- same language--the language of sentiment.
p.8

9. p.9

10. CHaNel
rhymes with perles
It’s a well-known fact that Mademoi-
selle Chanel has always been a great
fan of pearls and succeeded to put
them on the map. an iconic portrait
of Coco shows her with her neck
dripping with strands.
according to her, pearls had the power of enlightening
a woman face. It is not surprising that beginning of
october during the fashion week in Paris Mr. karl la-
gerfeld dedicated the latest couture collection to Pearl.
Suzy Menkes who attended the show titled her article
in the New york times (oct. 5th): “Chanel, a pearl of
show”. Quoting Suzy, it started with a pearl, perhaps
the pearl gem that karl wore as a tie pin to take his bow
at the end of an exceptional Chanel. Show… For Cha-
nel Spring-Summer 2012 season Mr. lagerfeld plum-
bed the ocean depths and rose to fashion heights…
above all the collection was indisputably and irrefu-
tably Chanel, almost every piece turning on the pearl
that is one of Coco icons. … By replacing the signature
Chanel chains with the equally iconic pearls kl lighte-
ned up the day wear. … this tour de force highlighted
the power and energy of a brand that Mr. lagerfeld
seems to have right under his skin, for Chanel & for
fashion; the designer is a pearl beyond price. We, at the
Pearl tribune would like to thank both karl and Suzy
for helping us to give the best promotion possible for
our favourite gem. Didier BRODBECK
p.10

11. dazzlING
aristocratic splendour
london – Christie’s announce the large natural pearl and diamond clusters. these jewels
will be sold as two lots: the rosebery pearl and diamond
historic sale of the rosebery pearl
tiara which is expected to realise between £1,000,000
and diamond tiara, bracelet and
and £1,500,000 and the rosebery pearl and diamond
brooch, bracelet and brooch (estimate:£300,000-400,000).
three of the most important jewels that belonged to Han- keith Penton, Head of Jewels Christie’s london: “the
nah, Countess of rosebery (1851-1890) née de roths- rosebery pearl and diamond tiara, bracelet and brooch
child, which will lead the london auction of Important were at the heart of lady rosebery’s vast array of ma-
Jewels on Wednesday 8 June 2011. Victorian ancestral gnificent jewels, which rivalled those of the crowned
jewels of the first rank, they were made in the opulent heads of europe at the time. they are a rare survival
grand Victorian court style and comprise a series of of 19th century english aristocratic splendour, as so
much ancestral jewellery has been sold anonymously,
remounted or broken down. Having descended through
various branches of the family and survived the vicis-
situdes of fashion, the jewels are being offered for sale
from a private collection for the first time since their
creation nearly 140 years ago. as jewellery market lea-
ders for 17 consecutive years, Christie’s are proud to
offer these spectacular examples on an international
stage at a time when pearls are once more appreciated
for their great beauty and rarity.”
p.11

12. oCeaN NeWS
Marutea, more than a Pearl, a brand
Marutea is an atoll found more than of the first Tahitian pearl pioneers. Thirty years later,
Wan is the recognized leader as much for the quantity
1,500 kilometers southeast of tahiti,
of his products as the exceptional quality of the fruits
and it’s one of Robert Wan’s five
of his labor. the list of big jewelry names who have used
pearl farms. It is certainly the farm robert’s pearls in their designs is long, among the most
that produces the most beautiful famous in the world including Mikimoto, Harry Wins-
specimens. these pearls are priceless ton, tiffany and Co. and damiani…
and are esteemed by enthusiasts and
experts looking for exceptional quality. robert Wan holds another record, for having
led to the creation of the biggest tahitian pearl
– 21 millimeters – which is named after him.
the other reason, more than Wan’s experience alone,
is the exceptional quality of the sea where the oysters
grow. Numerous factors contribute to the mother-of-
pearl’s production process, most importantly the ex-
treme purity of the atoll’s waters. the oyster is delicate
© tim Mckenna
and the least pollution could destroy a pearl’s culture.
To flourish, it needs stable temperatures. Sunshine is
1- 2- another huge advantage. of course the mollusks’ plank-
Indeed these are gems like other examples of nature’s ton must be plentiful and perfectly health. Finally, with
products. the terrain, here in the middle of the ocean, the collaboration with the French research Institute
and the geographical location play an essential role in for ocean exploitation, the robert Wan group knew to
the quality of the finished product. As with wine, co- surround itself with team, whose experience in tahitian
gnac and champagne, we could classify tahitian pearls pearl culture is unique to Polynesia.
based on their origin. For example there are appella-
tions that allow us to rank wine (grand cru, cru classé,
Marutea atoll best meets the criteria needed to
cru bourgeois). So why are Marutea pearls today consi-
dered among the most beautiful in the world? the cultivate the Pinctada Margaratifera oyster.
first reason is obvious - Robert Wan’s precedence in Better than a certified or quality label, Marutea is a true
the pearl cultivation field. In the mid-70s he was one luxury brand for extremely high quality pearls.
Didier BRODBECK
1 - Marutea Pearls the best of robert Wan’s Production.
p.12
2 - Marutea is also the name of Mr. Wan’s boat.

14. traVel loG
Palawan and Flower island
With scenery this beautiful, you’d Island resort, where relaxation begins as soon as your
feet touch the clear blue water, and fresh scented towels.
think that you must be dreaming –
you are immediately under the charm of this stunning site.
or that it was imagined by a
the island includes an idyllic hotel with independent
talented poet! bungalows (chalets) and Penthouse-style rooms (seve-
ral levels), a main dining room overlooking the sea,
beautiful beaches and palm trees, and a special tower
with 4 bedrooms (known as the Princess tower), where
I slept. I had a 360 degree view where I admired the
sheer beauty of a boundless ocean. It is truly a unique
place - my first night I witnessed light from a light-
ning storm that lit up the spectacular landscape. the
second night, I didn’t have the storm from the previous
day but it was still exotic and relaxing. during the day
we traveled by boat to see the pearls: the reason for my
It’s difficult to explain what I liked the most, because trip. Before sunset we returned via helicopter piloted
the Philippines’ people and environment made the stay by Jacques Branellec, where I managed to take beautiful
thoroughly enjoyable. their kindness and service, frien- pictures of a surreal landscape.
dliness and the way they make you feel at home was
simply indescribable. knowing that the Philippines are
composed of so many islands, each with its own story
is wonderful. It’s amazing to discover how people have
developed their skills in the pursuit of golden pearls, as
well as how they plunge into the sea to seek this pre-
cious gem from the Palawan Island paradise.
We used every conceivable method of transportation
available, starting with a commercial aircraft to Mani-
la where we spent a night. the next day after visiting on other days, activities included a picnic, where we
Jewelmer’s offices and one of its boutiques in a lovely swam and enjoyed the sun. We also visited the Jewel-
shopping center, we arrived at the ItI airport where mer Foundation of the island of Calabugtong, where
we took a small plane (capacity for 19 passengers!) and we found out how they support their agriculture,
landed on the island “el nido”. We continued by Jeep to beekeeping, and the needs of thousands of Jewelmer
the Bataclan Pier beach, and then took a boat to Flower employees. teaching them to care for their natural re-
p.14

15. you too can experience the magic of this
paradise island go to Flower island website
www.flowerisland-resort.com
sources and take advantage of the best nature offers
without needlessly damaging the environment.
the night before our return, there was a cultural festi-
val conducted entirely by Jewelmer and Flower Island
resort employees, complete with colorful dances and
the delivery of a very special piece of jewelry that tur-
ned out to be a beautiful golden pearl mounted on a
shell, only received by those who agree to disseminate
and support the protection of the world’s environment,
especially in the South Seas. It was quite an emotional
goodbye.
the next day, we returned by helicopter (this time
piloted by Jacques-Christophe Branellec) straight to
Manila, and then we took a commercial flight to Hong
kong… a return to reality.
I could go on and on describing each minute and mo-
ment, indelible in my memory... this whole experience
and personal enrichment makes my approach more
clear and full of arguments to express my admiration
for this mighty and majestic place, ideal for the develop-
ment of my favorite pearl: the divine pearl.
patty de BRüggER
p.15

16. Sabine Mazloum
P E A R L
P E A R L S P E C II A L II S T
S P E C A L S T
Downtown Beirut – Bab Idriss – Melrose Building – Tel / Fax : + 961 1 997373 – www.sabinemazloum.com