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Summer is here! This is my favorite time of year. Warm weather, sunshine, longer days, flip flops all day- every day, and I get to take my wife along on some of trips since she is a teacher! When you combine pearling with travel, you can come up with some pretty amazing places: remote Polynesian islands like Tahiti, Takaroa, and Mangareva, The Philippines, Australia, China, Hong Kong, and Japan just to name a few. Each summer, we try to set off for a different adventure depending on what is going on at different farms, events, or tradeshows. Last year, we set off for the Philippines where we spent the majority of the time in Palawan visiting the best golden South Sea pearl farm in world, learning from one of the pioneers of modern pearling- Jacques Branellec and his son Jacques Cristophe. For the both of us, this was an amazing and life- changing trip, where we could see first- hand how one of the best farms in the world runs it’s operations. For this years trip, we set off to Tahiti and Takaroa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Robert Wan and Tahiti Perles and head back to the farm to check in on some projects we have been working on, which will be launching sometime this year. Much like last year, we were able to spend some time with a pioneer in the art of pearling. One of the benefits of cultured pearls being a relatively young gem, is that we are able to spend time and learn from some of the original pearl farmers such as the Branellec family and Robert Wan and gain a deeper insight in to their dedication to the art form and producing some of the most beautiful pearls in the world. What is astounding is, that with different locales, mollusk types, and character of the finished gem, there are many commonalities between each of the top farms. These qualities are dedication, sustainability, pride, responsibility.
The celebration began with the MC asking the question: “what is 40 years?” The history of the cultured pearl as a whole has a life that started only a little over 100 years ago, and the Tahitian pearl has only been around for 51 years. At 40 years, this covers almost the entirety of the Tahitian pearl history. However, the point that the MC was making, and the reason for the celebration was a celebration of the dedication and passion of Robert Wan and his family to creating a quality gem that is not defined simply by color, shape, luster, or size, but several characteristics which create a unique brand of pearls that reflects the culture of the French Polynesian islands. 40 years is something that very few farmers in the entire industry of pearling can reflect on as the time, patience, and odds of producing quality pearls is not something that comes easily. For Robert Wan, being one of the original pearl farmers in French Polynesia and surviving through all of the highs and lows over this time period, while maintaining a high level of quality and care is not an easy task. To put it in perspective, my wife and I snuck back to the farm in Takaroa for a few days. Last year when I made my first trip of the year back to Takaroa, pearling operations were abundant with most of the lagoon was filled with boats, buoys with pearl lines attached, and small farms populating the island. This last trip, the lagoon had very few boats, less than 1/3 of the typical amount of lines in the water, and most of the farms were closed. While driving around with Louie, who was in the video I posted last week he was quick to point out all of the farms which had to close their doors just over the last year. Keep in mind, Takaroa is considered to be one of the main destinations for farmers to collect oysters and culture their pearls. The timeline to produce a single 9mm Tahitian pearl takes a minimum of 3 years. So, to simply start a farm with the intent of having 1 successful harvest, you need great resources and endless patience. However, to maintain a farm, the amount of resources needed grows as now you must now maintain and improve production, fight off others who want to hire away valuable technicians who now understand your production methods, and you must maintain more oysters. For Robert Wan, add in that he owns 2 of his own islands, 1 of which is bio certified and operates 3 farms.
Like anything in life, the more dedicated you are to learning a skill and honing the intricacies, and perfecting those practices, the better you will be. For over 40 years, the Wan family has been a student of pearl culturing and have become world renown for producing the finest Tahitian pearls in the world. Their unmatched dedication to responsible and sustainable farming practices transcends the commitment of any other farmer in the Tahitian islands. 40 years has earned Robert Wan the title as the “Emperor of Tahitian Pearls.” Because of his dedication, passion, and perseverance, we are able to prize some of the most rare and unique pearls, and may not otherwise have Tahitian pearls without his leadership. To that end, my family and I would like to congratulate Robert Wan and his family for 40 years of passion, dedication, and excellence. It is a pleasure and honor to call him a friend and mentor.
Manuia Robert Wan!
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