Galatea: Jewelry by Artist of San Dimas, California has launched a new line of fine jewelry featuring the Galatea Pearl™, the world’s first gemstone-enucleated carved cultured pearl. The collection includes earrings, pendants and rings set in white and yellow 14k gold.
Chi Huynh is the Galatea Pearl’s creator and the owner of Galatea. In 2005, he was awarded U.S. Patent #7,062,940 for the proprietary process that uses a center bead of gemstone rather than traditional shell for pearl culturing. Each Galatea Pearl is carved by hand to reveal the beauty of the gemstone beneath the pearl’s luminescent surface. It is one of the most significant variations in pearl farming since the early part of the 20th century when pearls were first cultured in Japan.
A pearl like no other
Huynh, who is known for his hand-carved cultured pearls, opened his company in 1994. He came upon the idea for the Galatea Pearl in early 2000 after nicking a traditional pearl during the carving process and exposing its mother-of-pearl center. “I thought to myself, ‘what would happen if I grew a pearl using gemstone beads to let the color show through?’’’ says Huynh. Shortly after, he began the time-consuming process to culture and eventually patent the Galatea Pearl, which is grown in the warm waters of Tahiti.
In 2005, Huynh began setting up a pearl farm in his native Vietnam to harvest the Galatea Pearl in the country’s coastal waters. The oysters are first enucleated with perfectly round beads such as R.C. turquoise, amethyst, garnet, citrine, simulated coral and opal and left to grow for almost a year to obtain its luxurious nacre or exterior coating. The pearls are then carved by hand with signature Galatea flourishes to let the gemstone beneath the pearl shine through.
The new Galatea Pearl line also includes variations on Diamond in a Pearl™, one of Galatea’s best known and best selling collections. Each Diamond in a Pearl contains a delicate setting that holds a round brilliant diamond. Both the Galatea and Diamond in a Pearl collections are set in 14k white and yellow gold and include pendants, earrings and rings.
