Pearls have always been in high demand as jewelry, particularly as necklaces. There was a time, when pearls were far more valuable than gold, silver and even diamonds. They were the fashion of Queens and nobility and far beyond the reach of everyday people. That has all changed since the invention of modern industry. Today, pearls are grown in farms and cultivated, then made available on the market at prices where everyone can get them.
Before the industrialization, pearl diving or free diving, was the most dangerous occupation of all. Divers, often slaves or desperate poor people, would troll lakes, rivers and the sea for oysters and other shellfish. There was no protective equipment besides a rope to grab hold on and a big rock to make you sink. The diver would jump in the water and sink to up to 100 feet, before having to carve free the oysters, then swim up to the surface. It goes without saying the this kind of diving is extremely dangerous.
That’s also why it was mostly performed by slaves or the very poor, and it’s also why the art of pearl diving is hardly practiced any more. There are simply better alternatives. Cultured pearls have taken over the market and at much lower prices than their natural variants. They also do not require anyone to risk their life hunting for them.
However, there is still a few places in the world that practise genuine pearl hunting. Bahrain – the small gulf state – is one of them. Unlike so many other places in the world, Bahrain has made an conscious effort to preserve the habitat, so that pearl diving can still take place. That’s why some of the world’s most beautiful natural pearls now come from Bahrain, where trade with cultured speciments has been banned.
It’s an interesting story and one that continues to fascinate buyers around the world. Somehow, the beauty of the pearl grows when it’s been retrieved from the depth of the ocean.
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