“Edison” Pearls: Increasing Market Presence
Several vendors at both the AGTA and GJX shows carried large and attractively colored “Edison” pearls from China (see C. Zhou et al., “Detection of color treatment and optical brightening in Chinese freshwater ‘Edison’ pearls,” Summer 2021 G&G, pp. 124–134). These round freshwater bead cultured pearls generally ranged in size from 9 to 14 mm. Some baroque pearls were also offered. This year we saw deeper hues and more purple, bronze, copper, peach, and orangy pink colors than in the past; lighter colors such as white, cream, and light pink were more scarce. Popular trends included “rainbow” strands of pearls featuring a mix of colors, strands with alternating blocks of color, and strands with metallic colors (see above). At GJX, we spoke with Amy Hansen of A&B Jewelry (Honolulu, Hawaii) to learn about current purchasing trends and the latest developments at the pearl farms.
Hansen indicated that “Edison” pearls are still finding their place in the market. Her designer clients are seeking larger pearls, and those in the 12–14 mm size range are doing particularly well, with pearls larger than 13 mm in highest demand. She explained the limits in producing larger pearls: Larger sizes (particularly greater than 14 mm in diameter) take much more time to culture, which greatly limits the yield of top-grade product with respect to shape, nacre, surface, and luster. As a result, the highest-quality “Edison” pearls in sizes over 14 mm are rare and considerably more costly. That said, she noted that “Edison” pearls are still a good value, available in an appealing variety of colors and sizes with a price point substantially below akoya and Tahitian saltwater cultured pearls.
Hansen explained that the cultivation of “Edison” pearls in terms of bead size and culturing times is similar to that for saltwater Tahitian pearls. She described improvements in the process, including Chinese freshwater pearl farmers moving inland to access cleaner rivers and lakes and using more sound environmental practices. The move to these newer locations has resulted in more colors being achieved, broadening the offerings of these pearls. Chinese freshwater cultured pearl production has also decreased over the past five years as the focus has shifted more to quality over quantity. The wholesale price of fine-quality “Edison” pearls is still considerably below that of similarly sized Tahitian and akoya pearls, but we expect the price gap to narrow somewhat as the quality and popularity of these beautiful freshwater cultured pearls continues to increase.
