Some of the world's rarest and most sought after natural and cultured pearls will be offered in a private tender of the Dubai Pearl Exchange as leading producers Paspaley Pearling Co., Robert Wan, Jewelmer and Cogent Trading gather for a world first showcase of gem quality pearls in Dubai. The invitation-only event is set to be held on Feb 12-16, just prior to the inaugural World Pearl Forum in Dubai. Top pearl buyers from the international trade, leading jewelry design brands and members of the Dubai Pearl Exchange will present closed bids for up to 80 lots of important single pieces and gem quality matched sets as well as strands of significant rarity. Never before has such a collection of pearls been offered for sale. Pearl producers have keenly embraced the first-ever private tender by the Dubai Pearl Exchange, a subsidiary of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), due to the distribution and sales opportunities that such an event can create. “This pearl tender will enable us to showcase our very finest pieces to a truly international audience gathering here in Dubai in February,” said Nicholas Paspaley, chairman, Paspaley Pearling Co from Australia. Paspaley is currently assembling a selection of pearls to be sold in the Dubai tender including one of only five Nautilus pompilius pearls known to the GIA. Paspaley will also offer an extremely important cultured South Sea strand with a centerpiece of over 22mm in size. This strand was previously exhibited at the Smithsonian Institute, the NY Museum of Natural History and several other of the world's leading museums. Organizers anticipate that several millions of dollars in pearls will be offered for sale at Dubai's first-ever pearl trade tender. “The Dubai Pearl Exchange's inaugural tender of rare pearls is a key element in drawing the pearl trade to Dubai and underscoring the UAE's historic and ongoing relevance in this international market,” said Ahmed bin Sulayem, executive chairman, DMCC. “Hosting a pearl sale of this caliber enables our Dubai Pearl Exchange members to access some of the world's rarest pearls while creating a viable trading channel for some of the world's largest producers, all in a location recognized historically as a major pearl trading hub - Dubai.” Taking place alongside the inaugural pearl tender is the World Pearl Forum, a conference dedicated to the production, business, design, marketing and certification of the global pearl sector. The Dubai Pearl Exchange, a membership-led pearl trade networking hub will also be officially opened on the 62nd floor of Almas Tower within Jumeirah Lakes Towers, the first mixed use, freehold, freezone, fully owned and managed by the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Authority. __
