Pearl Blue Book Revisions

Pearl Blue Book Revisions...

The Pearl Commission of CIBJO, The World Jewellery Confederation, has released its special report ahead of the 2010 CIBJO Congress, which will commence on February 19 in Munich, Germany. In the report, the commission reviewed a number of amendments to the Pearl Blue Book.

Among the amendments that had been ratified at the 2009 Congress in Istanbul was a requirement to disclose a treatment achieved during the "Akoya" cultured pearl's growth as "colour induced cultured pearls." The treatment consists of injecting metal fluids into the pearl's sac to induce varying colours, depending on the metal used.

Also mentioned is a new definition for Keshi cultured pearls to a trade term that designates a non-beaded cultured pearl formed accidentally or intentionally by human intervention in marine pearl oysters such as the Akoya oyster, Silver/Gold lipped oyster, Black lipped oyster and freshwater molluscs.

The reports also mentions a change to Clause 4.2.8 in the Blue Book, which states that when making reference to a saltwater cultured pearl the words "cultured pearl" needs to be preceded by the word "saltwater."

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