THE PEARL, PRIZED for its beauty and rarity for more than 4,000 years, is also unique as the only precious stone used in jewellery that grows inside a living organism.
Pearls have steadily grown in popularity over the past century since the Japanese discovered how to mass produce them in the form of cultured pearls.
Several of the big exhibitors at the June Hong Kong Jewellery & Watch Fair and Asia's Fashion Jewellery & Accessories Fair are pearl exporters. They forecast that pearls will be a dominant trend next season.
Yu Kwok-yee, chairman of Asia Pearl, said freshwater cultured pearls comprised more than 80 per cent of the pearl market. These came in a variety of shapes and colours to suit different markets.
'The demand for freshwater pearls has increased significantly over the years,' Mr Yu said.
'And because of technological improvements, they can be produced in large quantities and cheaply. Pearls and pearl jewellery designs are being increasingly made to suit the average consumer.'
Mr Yu said irregular-shaped pearls were in vogue. They came in rice shape, drop shape and even cube and star shapes.