As Jewelmer unveils the next chapter of its storied legacy, the gentlemen who founded the company look back on the past 40 years and reflect on a calling far greater than what they had imagined
The story of Jewelmer began in 1979, when a Filipino entrepreneur and a French pearl farmer sat down for a chat. Group Chairman Manuel Cojuangco owes this meeting to “an invisible beneficent hand,” for he and President and CEO Jacques Branellec did not run in the same social circles at the time. But as fate would have it, their paths crossed through a chance encounter, when Cojuangco’s brother asked him to meet with Branellec. The initial goal was to find a way to cease dependence on harvesting natural oysters by finding a way to breed their own through research and biotechnology. At the time, others around the world were attempting to do the same—there were a few close calls, but no one had succeeded. Jewelmer would be the first in the pearling industry to find a winning formula.
Oyster breeding is just the tip of the iceberg. All over the world, the company is held in high esteem as the purveyor of the finest golden South Sea pearls, which are produced by the gold-lipped Pinctada maxima oysters bred in Jewelmer’s sustainable eco pearl farms in Palawan. A meeting with a jeweller—another fortuitous event, according to Cojuangco—inspired the gentlemen to expand the business by utilising their raw materials to create their own pieces. “We realised that we had an opportunity to create unique designs that may not yet exist, allowing us to dictate trends in the jewellery industry,” says Branellec. “It was imperative that we made a strong impact, not just because we were establishing a brand, but because we had the opportunity to show the world that the Philippines had the potential to become an able player in the luxury market.”
An exhibition at a museum in Monaco is particularly memorable for the gentlemen. In retrospect, it may also have been the kick starter to truly get things moving for them, at least, where jewellery was concerned. “Jewelmer, the new kid on the block, was one of only two Asian companies there,” Cojuangco recalls. “Because of where they placed us, people may have gotten the impression that we were bigger than we were. It was quite exciting; we certainly weren’t complaining!”
2006 found Branellec and Cojuangco adding yet another feather to Jewelmer’s proverbial hat—this time, establishing its corporate social responsibility arm, the Save Palawan Seas Foundation (SPSF). Through this foundation, the company works closely with the local government and related non-profit organisations to provide a better quality of life to the communities in Palawan by introducing sustainable livelihood practices as well as developing and implementing strategies for the protection of marine resources. This arm of the business is near and dear to the co-founders’ hearts, as this island, often called “the last frontier” of the Philippines, and its inhabitants that are in their employ are the core of the Jewelmer brand.
“We have been active on the environmental front since we began, spreading awareness and initiating discussions on preservation and rehabilitation,” shares Branellec. “Palawan is the largest marine protected area in the Philippines, and we are adamant about looking after it because it is under threat. The response to the foundation’s programmes has been extremely positive; moving forward, we will be even more concentrated in our efforts: beefing up resources, expanding our reach, and involving more communities.”
