Press - Financial Times, Sept 2015

The golden pearl is the rarest grown in the world today — only 0.01 per cent of pearls turn gold. Its rarity has led to steep prices. A pair of 11mm light golden pearl stud earrings might easily command $8,000, while a strand of well-matched deep golden pearls could run into hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But the factors underpinning these high prices are more complex than supply and demand. Climate change and pollution are taking their toll on the golden pearl, so much so that the industry is now at risk.

The golden pearl, the result of a recessive gene, grows in the South Seas of Asia, in the gold lipped oyster. In the Palawan province of the Philippines, known for its beautiful beaches and saturated purple sunsets, Jewelmer, a luxury pearl brand, produces 70 per cent of the world’s top golden pearls….

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