Protecting heritage

TDT | Manama

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Cultured pearls banned from Bahrain’s jewellery counters

Cultured pearls are barred from Bahrain’s jewellery counters as the Industry and Commerce Ministry enforces a natural-only trade policed by DANAT lab tests, it has told the Shura Council.

In a written reply to Shura Council member Talal Al Mannai, the ministry said inspectors keep watch on local markets under Decree-Law 10 of 1990 on the control of pearls and precious stones, as amended by Decree-Law 65 of 2014.

Field teams visit shops to check that only natural pearl pieces are on show or for sale, and that each item carries a test certificate from the Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (DANAT), the licensed national laboratory for pearls and gemstones.

The ministry said DANAT’s work is reviewed every year to ensure it follows all the rules and procedures laid down in Decision 163 of 2016, which spells out the conditions and controls for companies allowed to examine pearls, precious stones and related jewellery.

Asked about the value of natural pearl imports and exports over the past three years, the ministry replied that prices in the local market turn on several factors.

Weight, colour, shape and size all matter, as does the state of the outer layer and whether the pearls are loose, drilled or strung in strands and necklaces.

Price

The price also rests on how each trader judges a piece, and that judgement changes from one dealer to another.

For imported pearls, consignments are held on arrival and sent to DANAT so the lab can separate natural pearls from cultured ones, the reply added.

Only natural pearls are then cleared for entry into Bahrain.

Rules

On the value of natural pearls taken from Bahraini waters, the ministry said the same market rules apply, which makes it hard to give a single figure.

It noted that much of the tababa – the yield of pearls brought up by divers – is kept rather than sold or traded locally, or is handled under direct deals between divers and traders who work in natural pearls.

Turning to plans to protect, promote and support the trade in Bahraini natural pearls, the ministry pointed to the legal ban on trading and circulating non-natural pearls as the main tool.

Role

It also drew attention to DANAT’s role as the first national laboratory working to international standards, with a licence to examine pearls and gemstones and offer services beyond Bahrain’s borders.

According to the reply, the ministry joins other bodies in shared events and campaigns to draw more attention to the pearl sector and its place in the economy.

The ministry said the control system for pearls and gemstones has been upgraded in co-operation with DANAT, with the Testing and Metrology Directorate and the Inspection Directorate sharing day-to-day checks to support oversight.