The 11th Cooperate Tahiti Auction (Rikitea Auction) was held between 9 and 11 November 2014 in Tahiti. The result was 10-percent higher than expectation. Dominique Devaux, auction organiser, said: “This time, we exhibited more low-grade pearls, thus the average price per piece is lower. In fact, the average price of high-quality pearls remains the same.”
A total of 320,821 Tahitian pearls in a wide variety of colours, shapes and sizes were under auction. Ninety-two percent or 296,316 pieces were sold for a total of 2,367,338 euros or approximately HK$22.6 million. The sale drew 49 buyers from Japan, Hong Kong, French Polynesia, the United States, Canada and Denmark. Buyers from Asia accounted for 88 percent of the total sales and 84 percent of the total number of pearls sold, according to the latest Tahitian Pearl Newsletter published by the Tahitian Pearl Association Hong Kong (TPAHK). Major buyers from Hong Kong were Rio Pearl, Chan Ming Wing Pearl, Chow Tai Fook, Eastern Pearl, Fook Yue Pearl, Luen Hing Pearl, Merit, etc.
Held concurrently with the sale was the 3rd Tahiti Auction co-organised by GIE Poe O Tahiti Nui and GIE Tahiti Pearl Auction from 9 to 10 November. A total of 151,171 pieces of Tahitian pearls were sold for 1,414,682 euros or approximately HK$12.5 million, among which 602,402 euros were contributed by buyers from Japan, 545,784 euros from Hong Kong. The next auctions are scheduled for March 2015. (Photo Courtesy: TPAHK)
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