Kamoka Pearls from Tahiti. The riches of the Sea.

Kamoka Pearls – The riches of the sea.

Established in 1991 Kamoka Pearls is built on two basic principles. Ecological and social responsibility. It was clear to me just talking with Josh at the Tuscon Gem Fair this year that he and the team he works with are very dedicated not just to the business, but to the whole story of how the pearls are farmed, harvested, their quality and sales strategy. Their philosophy is embedded into the very fabric of the operation and I could sense the reverence that was present in the soul of the idea. As the following quote from their website highlights:

“We are essentially farming wild animals in a wild environment, and our goal is to do it respectfully and sustainably. We work towards this both in the way we live and in the way we work”.

They are definitely a small operation whereas they used to be more medium-sized operation before the cheap pearl farms started under cutting the traditional approaches to pearl farming.

The way they clean their oysters is pretty unique. They are put in zones where the fish populations are strong and the fish nibble off the fouling from the oysters. What’s fascinating about that is that there are a million things that grow on oysters from anemones, corals to sea mats and basically there is a fish species that corresponds with every kind of fouling. The end result of this cleaning is that it strengthens the entire fish populations.

“A fair trade pearl should come from a production that looks after it’s people and the environment it occupies. A fair trade pearl should also be paid for what it is worth. I would hope that it would allow local communities to make a living” said Josh in a recent interview with Marc Choyt.

For more information on how to buy Kamoka Pearls please email Josh Humbert ([email protected]) and a visit to their website Kamoka Pearls.

They currently have a purchase minimum of USD$2,000 and sell only wholesale for now.

---