The Pearl Commission of CIBJO reviewed a number of proposals for amendments to the Pearl Blue Book in a special report.
The report was released in an effort to help the Pearl Blue Book become an international standard for the understanding of natural and cultured pearls.
Several edits were made to the Pearl Blue Book, including the usage of the word pearl. Modern usage dictates that pearl should always be qualified with either natural, cultured, or imitation to reduce ambiguity.
The report also discusses the formation of a Technical Pearl Commission under the auspices of the Laboratory Manual Harmonization Committee in response to concerns expressed by Bahrain delegates during the 2010 Congress regarding criteria used for identifying natural pearls.
The CIBJO Pearl Commission will meet at the 2011 CIBJO Congress in Porto, Portugal, on March 14.
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