The CIBJO Pearl Commission has voted on a number of amendments to the Pearl Blue Book, a definitive set of standards for pearl grading, methodology and nomenclature that the commission has updated each year since the guide's publication in 2006.


The new amendments, including a unanimous vote against the use of the term "cultured" to describe synthetic diamonds, as well as board elections, were made during the most recent CIBJO Congress, held in April of 2008 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The Pearl Commission re-elected Martin Coeroli as president, Shigeru Akamatsu as vice president, and elected Gati Rabbani as a second vice president. The commission also adopted new resolutions on the definition of Clause 5.16 "bead" for cultured pearls, Clause 5.110 "luster enhancement," Clause 5.132 "nacre thickness," Clause 5.52 "cultured blister" and Clause 5.220 "working."

Looking ahead, the Pearl Steering Committee is finalizing the proposals that will be presented at the 2009 CIBJO Congress, taking place May 3-5 in Istanbul. The proposals include recommendations to disclose a new cultured pearl treatment in which metal fluids are injected into a pearl's sac to induce varying colors as "color-induced cultured pearls;" to change the "Salt Water Cultured Pearls" Clause 4.2.8 to have the word "saltwater" always preceed the words "cultured pearl" in any reference to a "saltwater cultured pearl;" and to complete the appendix list of pearl mollusks.

In addition, the committee will recommend changing the definition of "Keshi cultured pearls" to "a trade term that designates a non-beaded cultured pearl (5.136) formed accidentally or intentionally by human intervention in marine pearl oysters such as the Akoya oyster (Pinctada fucata 5.158), Silver/Gold lipped oyster (5.198) (Pinctada maxima 5.163) Black lipped oyster (Pinctada margaritifera 5.162), and freshwater molluscs."

For 2009, the committee said it also intends to continue raising awareness of the environmental issues associated with cultured pearl production, discuss pearl supply and confer on the impact of the global economic crisis and the best strategy for the pearl industry to adopt.