(Tahitipresse) - Robert Wan will be one of five cultured pearl panel speakers during the 4th International Gemological Symposium scheduled for August 27-29 in San Diego, Calif.

This is the second time he has been chosen by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) to address the symposium about the subject he knows best, the Tahitian cultured pearl. The first time was during the 3rd International Gemological Symposium in 1999.

Wan, the biggest singled producer of Tahitian pearls as well as one of its pioneers, will discuss along with the four other speakers harvesting profits from cultured pearls during an Aug. 29 morning session. The other cultured pearl panel speakers are Meyer Hoffman, COO, Mikimoto (America) in New York; Nick Paspaley, the pioneer of South Sea pearls in Australia; Ken Scarratt, director for the Gemological Institute of America's Bangkok research laboratory; and Joel Schechter, CEO of Honora Industries, a New York City company that designs and manufactures fine jewelry, and is a major importer of freshwater cultured pearls from China.

The symposium program describes the panel discussion with the following background setting: "According to industry authorities, the selection, variety and quality of the world's cultured pearls are better than ever. But just as cultured pearl jewelry is increasing in popularity, reports about decreasing production of some types of cultured pearls have started to surface. Is this an effort to improve or stabilize profits or a normal cycle of ebb and flow? This panel goes deep into the world of cultured pearls and gives you an inside perspective on everything from production and profits to trends and treatments."

As in 1999 during the 3rd International Gemological Symposium, Wan will lead a delegation from Tahiti to San Diego, where the GIA has organized the event with the theme, "Navigating the Challenges Ahead". The delegation will include Martin Coeroli, general manager of Perles de Tahiti, and members of his staff, who have organized a presentation for the symposium's "poster session", which will run throughout the symposium.

The GIA's symposium program describes the "poster session" as "a veritable trading floor of ideas and information", offering "a vast spectrum of research theories, innovation and information. This is an ideal forum to communicate with key players in the industry on scientific and technical research. It's here where ideas meet opportunity."

The program also describes the session as "a world of vision, of computer modeling, breathtaking photographs and exciting multi-media presentations. Dozens of poster presentations are scheduled on cutting-edge topics relating to gemology and jewelry." There will be "unconventional techniques in cutting and fashioning".

This is only the fourth time in three decades that the GIA has invited the international gem and jewelry community to its symposium, which it bills as "a prestigious forum that attracts professionals from every sector of the gem and jewelry trade. For three days, leading researchers and industry experts will address key economic, technological and geopolitical factors affecting the industry in the 21st century.

During the 3rd International Gemological Symposium, Tahiti's cultured pearl and Wan shared center stage with the world of diamonds, platinum, Japanese, akoya and South Seas Australian pearls. Wan made history for himself and Tahiti's pearl producers. He was chosen by the GIA to speak on behalf of the entire Tahitian pearl industry and helped sponsor a pearl reception and fashion show during the symposium.

Wan made further history by becoming the first person from Tahiti's pearl industry to have a building dedicated in his name at the GIA's Mouawad Campus in Carlsbad, Calif.