South Marutea Tahitian Pearls

1973: A Year of Milestones

1973 was the year of the first oil crisis. It was marked by significant events such as the Yom Kippur War, the coup in Chile, the return of Peron in Argentina, and the official openings of the World Trade Centre and the Sydney Opera House. Additionally, it saw the first visit of a Soviet leader to the United States since 1917, the autonomy of Papua New Guinea, the right to vote for Australian Aborigines, the cease-fire in Vietnam, Suharto’s re-election in Indonesia, the declaration of the Afghanistan republic, and the entry of the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Denmark into the European Economic Community (CEE).

1973 was also the year when, in an anonymous notarial office in the small city of Papeete on the other side of the world, a young Chinese Polynesian bought his first pearl farm. Located in the vast Pacific Ocean on one of the most remote islands of Tahiti, Aukena in the Gambier Archipelago, this purchase marked the beginning of an unpredictable adventure and a profound passion.

The Beginning of an Adventure

Forty years ago, this young man's journey began. Ten years later, another pivotal event solidified Robert Wan’s passion for pearls: the purchase of South Marutea atoll. South Marutea, 1550 km from Tahiti, had never been heavily populated during the pre-European period. The atoll was first spotted by Quiros in 1606 before being forgotten for many years. In 1791, it was named Lord Hood’s Island by an English mariner searching for Fletcher Christian and the Bounty Mutiny. It remained largely unvisited for another century, with only a few itinerant fishermen seeking mother of pearls.

In 1975, Jean-Claude Brouillet and Jacques Branellec discovered the atoll and decided to establish pearl farms there. When Robert Wan bought this atoll, which he fondly called "my lucky island," he decided to dedicate his life to pearls. "My most beautiful pearls come from South Marutea," he says. Nothing more needs to be added! Aukena and South Marutea became the chosen lands for his pearl farming.

The Rise of the Tahitian Pearl Emperor

Robert Wan faced both human and financial challenges, but his exceptional vision paid off. Forty years later, the ambitious young man once considered a fool is now revered as the Tahitian Pearl Emperor.