Under the patronage of the Minister of Industry , Commerce and Tourism, HE Zayed R. Al Zayani, Christie’s and the Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (DANAT), today officially inaugurated the “Magnificent Pearls” exhibition, held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Bahrain Bay, in the presence of the Honorary Chairman of Christie’s, the Earl of Snowdon.
Welcoming guests at the opening ceremony, HE the Minister highlighted that Danat was established at the instigation of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, noting the continuous support extended by HRH to the Kingdom’s national plan to revive Bahrain’s historic pearling industry, which dates back to 5000 years. HE further highlighted the importance of the exhibition in further supporting and developing pearling industry in the Kingdom and the wider region.
Speaking at the event, the Senior International Director of Christie’s Jewels, David Warren said, “Exhibitions focused entirely on natural pearls are very rare. It has therefore been a real pleasure curating the current one, which showcases nearly 50 lots of exceptional natural pearls from the wider region. The historic importance of Bahrain as the center of pearl fishing for thousands of years, makes Manama the perfect location for holding this magnificent exhibition. We would like to express our deepest thanks to DANAT, the major pearl testing laboratory, for their close collaboration with this event’’.
Magnificent Pearls is one of the largest pearl exhibitions ever organized with more than 60 exceptional pearl jewels all certified by Danat, being displayed to the public. The exhibition also reinforces Bahrain's position as a global center for natural pearls and demonstrates DANAT’s dedication to developing the local and regional pearl and gemstone industry, as well as offering of training programs to the next generation of gemologists as well as those interested in pearls and gemstones from Bahrain and across the world.
It’s worth mentioning that Christie’s, the world’s leading and oldest art auction business, totaled $7 billion in 2018 by holding 350 live and online-only auctions in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewelry, and collectibles. Christie’s also holds Private Sales, a bespoke service where our specialists are researching jewels desired by our clients. The present exhibition has been curated by Christie’s Private Sale team from around the globe.
