DMCC Launches Pearl Jewelry Design Course

The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) has created a two-year pearl jewelry design program – Pearl Essence – the Dubai International Pearl Jewellery Design Program. The course incorporates different categories of pearls, including Tahitian, South Sea Akoya and Freshwater.

The organizers note that Pearl Essence is a two-tier program incorporating both professional designers and jewelry design students, the first of which will constitute a custom-designed collection of pearl jewelry pieces, created by ten invited luxury brands, and the second, to incorporate a competition for final-year students from schools offering a minimum two-year full-time jewelry design course, spanning a broad geographical market.

For the professional designer tier, DMCC is currently in discussions with leading luxury jewellery brands including members of the Dubai Pearl Exchange to create one unique piece each for the collection. The entries will tour international jewellery trade exhibitions before being auctioned by Christie’s with the proceeds being donated to charity.

DMCC is also working with 44 jewellery design schools in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Lebanon, Singapore, South Africa and Turkey to solicit entries. The student entries will be judged by an international jury, chaired by DMCC and comprising trade journalists and professional jewellery designers, and evaluated for commercial design, wearability, theme-based creativity and the use of pearls as the main design feature.

A shortlist of 10 student designs will be fabricated into finished jewelry by DMCC-nominated manufacturers and pearl sponsors. The fledgling designers stand to win several awards including a 30-day internship with an international jewelry design house, a week's visit to the pearling operations of Paspaley Pearling Co in Western Australia, a seven-day course at Gemological Institute of America’s (GIA’s) Carlsbad campus and online pearl courses from GIA.

Ahmed bin Sulayem, executive chairman of the DMCC, said, “This international pearl jewellery design programme will both highlight Dubai as a centre for the global pearl trade and increase the visibility of pearls in the fashion industry. Pearl Essence will invite participation from the global marketplace and provide a neutral and innovative programme for the international pearl community.”