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Milan, Italy—The COVID-19 pandemic has driven a strong migration to online trading of loose pearls and pearl jewelry. Image: British star Gemma Arterton in a mix of freshwater and South Sea pearl strands from Yoko London's Classic collection.

The pearl sector has always stood apart in the industry: as a biogenic jewel as opposed to a mined gemstone, pearls are fully environmentally sustainable and require little processing after extraction. But they’re also highly susceptible to environmental catastrophe and pearl farms could not shut down during the pandemic because of potential irreparable damage to the mollusks. The pearl trade also has a long, convoluted supply chain and multiple grading systems that make marketing and pricing a challenge.

Moving online is likely to alleviate some challenges. Remote selling requires harmonized and simplified grading systems. Trading platforms also offer smaller producers and traders ways to communicate directly with jewelry manufacturers and even consumers, making the post-COVID pearl trade markedly different than pre-pandemic.

CIBJO's Jewellery Industry Voices webinar on October 7 will address these impacts. “TRADING PEARLS ONLINE: Why, How, and the Consequences,” will examine how the trade is likely to change. Panelists include Peter Bracher, executive director at Australia’s Paspaley Pearling, a leading pearl producer and the seminar sponsor; Kenneth Scarratt, managing partner of ICA Gem Lab in Bangkok, Thailand, and president of CIBJO's Pearl Commission, tasked with creating a universal pearl grading system; Pam Cloud, principal at Cloud Advisers and a former executive of Tiffany & Co.; and Jörg Gellner, managing Director of Gellner, a prominent pearl jewelry brand based in Germany. 

The seminar will be held Thursday, October 7, 2021 at 9:00 AM New York time, 2:00 PM London, 3:00 PM Milan, 5:00 PM Dubai, 6:30 PM Mumbai, 9:00 PM Hong Kong time. Register here.