Schoeffel pearls: A brand among pearl dealers

A pearl necklace is practically the classic piece of jewelry. I think we all have a pretty clear image in our heads when we think of a pearl. But that's not quite true. Pearls are a whole world of products. And I'm going to take a look at just how big it is at the Schoeffel company.

Trading pearls for more than 90 years

Klas Bömecke: Mr. Schoeffel, your company really is a brand among pearl dealers. You also have quite a long tradition. Till Schoeffel: Yes, that's right. The company was founded in 1921. By my great-grandfather. My father turned the company into what it is today. My father left the company 10 years ago and I've been trying my luck ever since. Klas Bömecke: And you are a pearl dealer with heart and soul. Till Schoeffel: Exactly. With heart and soul. It's a passion. The pearl trade requires a lot of personal presence. I have personally selected every pearl that is sold through my company in the markets of origin.

Klas Bömecke: I think you're a well-traveled man by now, aren't you? Do you actually go to the farms and check the pearls? Till Schoeffel: It's not the case that as a pearl distributor or pearl brand here in Europe you always need the complete production or the complete harvest of a farm, because every market needs different pearls. In this respect, it only makes sense to buy directly from farms in some cases. It also makes sense to buy from Japanese companies, which in turn process and prepare the farm's harvest. Klas Bömecke: When you buy pearls, you must have very specific criteria. What makes a Schoeffel pearl? Till Schoeffel: When you see this here - if I may take these pearls in my hand for a moment. They have a superior shine, they have radiance, they have expressiveness, they have personality. And that's what we try to do with the pearls that the customers then wear, to emphasize the personality of the customer and to buy expressive pearls. Klas Bömecke: Is luster a sign of quality? There are also much more matt pearls, which can also look quite chic. Till Schoeffel: Only a pearl with an intense and superior lustre has a thick coating. And the thicker the mother-of-pearl layer, the more intense the luster of the pearl. In this respect, the intense luster of a Schoeffel pearl is also a very important quality criterion for the pearl itself - because it has a very thick coating and can therefore give the wearer pleasure for one or more generations.

Klas Bömecke: That means that even as a layman I can see at a glance, wow, that's a great pearl or not? Till Schoeffel: If you put two types of pearl next to each other, a non-shiny pearl and a Schoeffel pearl, you will immediately recognize the difference. Klas Bömecke: You produce jewelry yourself. You also sell individual pearls, for example something spectacular like this. Till Schoeffel: Well, what you have in your hand here is - you could almost say - a world rarity. I am a very reserved person and I am careful with such terms. It is a perfectly round Tahitian pearl from French Polynesia and is over 20 millimeters in size. And I suspect that 2-3 pearls of this quality are found a year. Pearls with quality in the mid-six-figure range Klas Bömecke: What will happen to this pearl? Till Schoeffel: Very often such pearls are collector's items, which means that they are not processed at all but go into a collection in the same way that people collect vintage cars, for example, or art. I know of an elderly lady here in Germany who has already bought pearls in the mid six-figure range from us, exceptional pearls, and enjoys looking at them every day. Klas Bömecke: If this pearl is something so world exclusive, something very special. What would I have to invest in it? Till Schoeffel: We're in the six-figure range. Not for a pearl? That's something fascinating. Klas Bömecke: You really have to be enthusiastic about it, yes! Till Schoeffel: But think about the rarity when you consider how many cars are sold in the six-figure range and then you have a pearl here that is just in the six-figure range and it's available twice a year. Klas Bömecke: Yes, that's right. Now a pearl is a classic piece of jewelry in itself, but there are probably still some trends, right? Till Schoeffel: Yes, pearls can be fantastically interpreted in jewelry today as 24-hour jewelry. For the woman who wants to wear something with her business suit in the morning and who is classic but still modern. Casual, cool, chic. Wonderful interpretation with the pearl of modernity. In price ranges from 1,000 -1,200 euros public price so for the price of a nice costume you can find something there. So we're not talking five- and six-figure prices here, but in quite accessible price ranges.

Klas Bömecke: When you think of pearl necklaces, the first thing that comes to mind is white because it is the classic par excellence. But now you've already shown me green, brown and bluish necklaces. Is that new or is that what's coming? Till Schoeffel: It's relatively new. That is always the color that a pearl farm can produce and is always somewhat dependent on the atoll. And this is a new atoll. These colors have been around for two or three years. And that is actually the fascinating thing about our life, that we always work in harmony with nature and then new things are always created in this harmony. That is wonderful. Klas Bömecke: And for the ladies, it can't just be the white pearl necklace, but also the second, third and fourth pearl necklace. Till Schoeffel: Exactly. There are shades of pink and salmon. There are no limits to the imagination. Klas Bömecke: What do you personally find so fascinating about pearls? Till Schoeffel: The incredible variety of pearls. There are pearls in the most diverse shapes and colors from the most diverse regions of the world. And that is also something. The desire to discover. When I go on a shopping trip to Southeast Asia, I never know what to expect. It's always a surprise and it's usually a positive surprise. Klas Bömecke: So for something as simple as a pearl, I've become a lot smarter because there's a lot behind it. Till Schoeffel: Nice to meet you! Klas Bömecke: Thank you very much, Mr. Schoeffel. Till Schoeffel: Thank you. Klas Bömecke: And good luck for the future!

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