By Aulia R. Sungkar. Published in HighEnd Mag (Wealth Management section), October 2012 issue.
HighEnd discovers the hidden treasures in the newest collection of rare pearls.
With countless years of experience in jewelry industry, Tia Goldsmith shows a glitter array of fine jewelry masterpieces displayed in the Mondial Store at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.
This chain store is operated under the management of Mondial Jeweler, a Singapore based leading jewelry company in Southeast Asia, which has established its presence with stores opened in the island city-state and Jakarta.
Known for its precious diamond pieces, Mondial has recently added a new collection of pearls with the moniker Mondial Excellent Pearl.
“We only carry untreated cultured pearls due to their rarity and high quality. Unlike most of the pearls in the market, these pearls are not crafted through treated process. An untreated cultured pearl produces higher quality of luster. It’s luxury to last!” Tia, Mondial Jeweler’s branch manager, explains excitingly.
People will agree that the luster, which is a surface reflection that emits glow, is what determines the natural beauty of a pearl. However, as she further explains, most people don’t have the capability of measuring the value of a pearl.
“We therefore need the expertise of a jewelry authority for measurement and certification values. And we are very happy that we get the certification from Gemological Institute of America (GIA), after the authority evaluated our products,” she says in a tone of delight.
GIA Grading System
With over US$ 3 billion annual trade, pearl trade has become an emerging investment avenue, with the major pearl producing countries being in Australia, Tahiti, Japan, China, India and Indonesia.
With the growing market demand worldwide, the world’s leading authority in jewelry, Gemological Institute of America (GIA), has developed the GIA Pearl Description System to facilitate an effective means of communication about pearls of all types.
GIA’s internationally standardized system determines the quality of a pearl based on the seven factors: size, shape, color, luster, surface quality, nacre quality and matching.
