The name Pearl of the Orient has taken a new meaning for Hong Kong as the city has evolved into a leading pearl centre. With eight Tahitian pearl auctions being held in the territory annually, the Tahitian pearl trade has seen rapid growth in Hong Kong, which took over Japan as French Polynesia’s most important pearl trading partner in 2006.

To tap the huge market in Greater China, chairman of GIE Perles de Tahitian, Mr. Alfred Martin collaborated with major pearl players in Hong Kong – Mr. Chan Ming Wing, Mr. Johnny Cheng and Mr. Tony Ng – to embark on the establishment of the market body for Tahiti Cultured Pearls in Hong Kong this September. With the support of the Ministry of Perliculture of the French Polynesian government and GIE Perles de Tahiti, the Tahitian Pearl Association Hong Kong was born on December 5, 2007. >>MORE