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Robert Wan

L1000061

As gem lovers, we are taught to look at only the surface of a pearl and make a snap judgment on quality.  What lies beneath the gem and what is often unseen or heard of in pearls is what lies beneath the layers of nacre.  The countless hours spent by the farmer delicately maintaining each mollusk, the days spent collecting micro organisms which will eventually become juvenile oysters, and the surgical precision needed at every step of the implanting operation.  This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to quality pearl production.  Within the layers of pearl nacre is the story of perseverance, dedication to an art form, team- work, collaboration with nature, and the quest for beauty- all coming with heavy odds stacked against the farmers.

For my family and myself, one of our aims is to bring you this complete story.  It is our hope to give a more accurate portrayal of the pearl and the unique challenges, which every farmer faces.  What separates the good farmer from the best farmer is a unique dedication which goes above and beyond industry norms or even standards.  While many farmers strive to produce the best possible pearls, many are limited in their capacity for their production.  Whether it is an overpopulated culturing area or farm staff which lack the motivation to delicately handle the mollusks, these difficulties translate to lower quality harvests.  With odds heavily stacked against you I pearl culturing, every slight advantage makes a big difference in a good harvest to a great harvest.

In or ever present quest to showcase and present to you the very best pearls in the world, over the last 40 years, we have partnered with what we believe are some of the very best and most dedicated farmers in the world.  Today, my family and I am proud to bring you the pearls from the private lagoons of Robert Wan.  Robert Wan is known in the jewelry industry as the “Emperor of Tahitian Pearls” and aside from being one of the original Tahitian pearl farmers, is recognized as the leading quality producer of Tahitian pearls.  It is safe to say that there is no man that is more respected in the Tahitian pearl industry than Robert Wan and his family.  His dedication to the art of culturing spans over 40 years.  Over the last 12 years, we have been working with the Wan family to provide pearls to you and have slowly been introducing some of his gems in our “Exotic Pearl” and “Prestige Pearl” shows.  Tomorrow, we will have nearly 1 full hour dedicated to pearls coming from his lagoons.

The Robert Wan dedication to pearls knows no limits.  Operating 3 very distinct farms in specific locations and owning 2 private islands is the epicenter of his operation. The best farms in the world do not culture to satisfy quantity, but dedicate themselves to high quality production.  By owning and maintaining these 2 islands, he is able to better control the water purity and the number of pearl producing mollusks in the water.  This allows for smaller and healthier harvests.  With smaller numbers of mollusks in the water and tight controls over the lagoon, each oyster has less competition for food and pure water, which has been bio certified- meaning the oysters will be stronger and more healthy; translating to higher quality pearls.  When it comes to size, outside of Robert Wan there is no farmer in French Polynesia who can say their pearls will reach sizes over 12mm with regularity while retaining strong nacre content, surreal color, high luster, and glass- like orient.  While moist farmers struggle to harvest 11 and 12mm pearls in their 3rd harvest, Robert Wan regularly has first harvests of 11mm and 3rd harvests of 14mm and above.  On several occasions, Robert has told me that he can pick his pearls from mixed lots and recognize his pearls in the open market based on their color intensity, weight, and orient.

Last April, I was the guest of the Wan family as we toured his 3 farms and 2 islands, traveling from Papeete to Nengo Nengo, to Marutea, to Mangareva in the Gambier archipelago.  It was on this trip that I was allowed to see first- hand all of their practices, which make their pearls some of the most unique and beautiful pearls in the world.  As we strive to bring the unique story of the pearl to you and give you the most accurate portrayal, we are very proud to showcase the pearls from Robert Wan and know that you will prize these pearls and instantly see why we have chosen these pearls for our collection. Combining his unique pearls with our passion for production and sharing gems with you, this partnership with the Wan family is an opportunity to own the very best Tahitian pearls in the world.

As always, if you have any questions or would just like to drop us a line about your pearls, please email me at Nick@wwide.net.  Thank you and I hope you enjoy the upcoming shows!