I was thrilled – and admittedly, a little envious – when we decided to send our Loupe editor Amanda Luke to Tahiti to learn about cultured pearl farming for this issue. Who wouldn’t be enchanted by the idea of traveling to a remote atoll in French Polynesia to learn how these stunning organic gems are created?

Amanda was four days into her visit before she was able to make a phone call, but she was bursting with enthusiasm when we finally connected. The people were wonderful and she had a much greater appreciation and understanding of all that goes into creating the jewelry she loves to wear.

This trip and story remind me of how enthusiastically the pearl trade has supported GIA’s nonprofit mission to ensure public confidence in the natural and cultured pearl industries. From technical information and guidance for our research programs, to practical advice for developing our education courses on pearls, it has been a loyal supporter of GIA for years.

We are surrounded by the names of leaders in the pearl industry as we walk around our world headquarters in Carlsbad: the Robert Wan Education Wing, the Salvador J. Assael Grand Atrium, the Mikimoto Rotunda and the Paspaley Classroom. Each contributed significant financial donations to the building of this campus and gave us the ability and opportunity to update our pearls course in 1998. Pearls were also an important topic of conversation at our 1999 Symposium.

Amanda’s visit to Tahiti is just one example of the many ways the pearl industry continues to support GIA today. Mikimoto recently established a scholarship fund for needy students to study pearls and our researchers continue to consult with industry leaders on important topics like cultured pearl grading and identification.

So we send a special thank you to our friends in the pearl industry and look forward to working with them for years to come.

Linda Ellis