The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has announced that it will now include traceability information in its reports for cultured pearls that have radio frequency identification (RFID) tags embedded in their bead nucleus. This has been made possible because of the ground-breaking Metakaku® technology.
Metakaku® Technology
Developed 12 years ago and trademarked under the Metakaku ® name, this innovative technology comes from Hong Kong-based Fukui Nucleus Shell Factory. With this technology it is possible to follow and document the journey of a bead-nucleated cultured pearl through the entire supply chain via a wireless RFID chip inserted into the bead nucleus of the pearl.
Transparency of origin and full traceability of cultured pearls is a concern among pearl sellers and buyers alike. But this new technology addresses these concerns comprehensively and effectively.
Each pearl using the Metakaku ® patented technology bears the unique RFID reference number of the chip installed within it. With this unique identifying marker, it becomes easy to trace pearls to the pearl farms where they were cultivated.
After more than a decade since it was first introduced, Fukui Shell Nucleus Factory today collaborates with many major pearl producers in French Polynesia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Japan and China for the use of this pearl tracking technology.
GIA’s Pearl Reports
The GIA offers three different reports for pearls.
Pearl Identification
The GIA Pearl Identification Report relates the quantity, weight, colour, identity (whether natural or cultured), mollusk (when determinable) which formed the pearl, the environment where the pearl was formed (saltwater or freshwater) and any detectable treatments. This report is issued for loose, mounted and strung pearls.
Pearl Identification & Classification
The GIA Pearl Identification & Classification Report includes all the information of the Pearl Identification Report as well as information regarding lustre, surface quality and matching (if applicable). This report is issued for loose, mounted or strung saltwater cultured pearls from the Pinctada fucata (Akoya), Pinctada maxima (South Sea) and Pinctada Margaritifera (Tahitian) pearl oysters.
Cultured Pearl Classification Report
The GIA Cultured Pearl Classification Report includes a detailed classification of cultured pearl(s) based on GIA’s 7 Pearl value Factors ™ (size, shape, colour, surface quality, nacre thickness and matching). This report is issued for loose, mounted or strung cultured pearls.
RFID Tag Number in GIA Pearl Report
Adding the RFID reference number to GIA’s Cultured Pearl Report accomplishes two important and interrelated goals. First, each pearl is uniquely identified for transparent traceability purposes. Second, it is also definitively matched to its quality attributes, based on GIA’s 7 Pearl Value Factors. In this way, a cultured pearl’s origin and value factors are easily accessed through one report.
“The integration of RFID details with GIA Cultured Pearl Reports represents a significant step forward in efforts to enhance traceability and transparency in the pearl industry,” observes Tom Moses, GIA executive vice president and chief laboratory and research officer.
Significance of the Metakaku® Technology
Pearls are an organic gem and tracing them from farm to market can be challenging. However, a pearl that has been sustainably cultured and is successfully traced to its origin, tells a fascinating story – of pearl farms, of pearl auctions and of sellers and buyers who have played a part in its journey down the supply chain.
“Stories have the power to create meaningful connections with pearls, inspiring us to seek deeper understanding and build stronger bonds with these precious gems. Through Metakaku®, we hope to provide value and new perspectives that encourage exploration and inspire greater opportunities for every single pearl that is harvested,” notes David Wong, Project Director at Fukui Shell Nucleus Factory and innovator of Metakaku®.
