Origin of Name
The Paspaley Drop Shaped Pearls refer to two
extraordinary natural drop-shaped South Sea pearls discovered from the pearl
oyster Pinctada maxima inhabiting the pearl oyster beds off the northern and
western coasts of Australia, and belonging to Paspaley Pearls Pty. Ltd. the
pioneers of South Sea cultured pearls based in Darwin, Northern Australia.
The two pearls were given on loan to the National Museum of Natural History
of the Smithsonian Institution for the "Allure of Pearls" exhibition held in
the Harrison Winston Gallery of the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology,
Gems and Minerals, from March 18 to September 5, 2005, and co-sponsored by
the GIA, Paspaley Pearls Pty Ltd. and Iridesse Pearls.
Characteristics of the Pearls
The size, shape,
color and luster of the pearls
The Paspaley Drop-shaped Pearls discovered from the pearl
oyster Pinctada maxima (white-lip or silver-lip oyster) inhabiting the oyster beds off the coast of
Northern and Western Australia, are extraordinary in terms of size, shape, color and
luster. A combination of all these desirable characteristics have made the Paspaley Drop-shaped Pearls to be listed among the most famous pearls in the
world. The two pearls have coincidentally the same weight, 18.75 carats
equivalent to 75.00 grains. Even though both pearls are characterized as
drop-shaped their shapes are not identical. One of the pearls of course has
a typical drop-shape or pear-shape, perfectly symmetrical, broader towards
one end and narrowing down towards the other end. The dimensions of this
pearl are 19.19 mm in length and 12.26 mm in diameter at its widest point.
The other pearl is more oval or oblong than pear-shaped, broader at the
middle and narrowing towards both ends, with dimensions of 19.62 mm in
length and 11.22 mm in diameter at its widest point. The perfect
symmetry of the two pearls is very striking, well proportioned with
respect to a median line of symmetry
Paspaley Drop-shaped Pearls
©Smithsonian Institution
Both pearls have a very clean
surface without any blemishes and the satin-sheen luster is
characteristic of most high quality South Sea pearls, imparted by a
rapidly deposited nacre in the warm waters of the sea. The color of the
pearls are white typical of South Sea pearls, other common
colors being silver, cream, yellow and golden. Thus the clean surface or skin of the
pearls along with their fine luster, combined with the highly desirable
drop-shape and the size of the pearls have made the Paspaley Drop-shaped
Pearls extremely rare and extraordinary, deserving to be included among
the most famous pearls of the world.
The size of South Sea
pearls
South Sea pearls whether natural or cultured are
among the largest pearls in the world. The size of cultured South Sea
pearls vary between 9-20 mm, with an average size of around 13 mm. Even
the Paspaley natural South Sea pearls having a length of around 19 mm
and a width of about 12 mm are quite large when compared to the average
size of other natural pearls. This is directly correlated with the size
of the pearl oyster species that produces these pearls, Pinctada maxima,
that can grow up to a size of 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter. The size of
the gonad where the pearl grows naturally or artificially after the
implantation of a bead, is larger than in other species of oysters,
enabling the growth of a larger pearl and a quicker deposition of nacre
around the nucleus, in the warm waters of the South Sea that accelerates
the metabolism of the oyster. The thickness of the nacre deposited is
also greater varying from 2-6 mm, compared to the thickness of nacre
deposited by Akoya pearls, which is only 0.35-0.70 mm. Apart from the
larger size and larger gonad of South Sea oysters, another factor that
plays a crucial role in the growth and development of the pearl is the
environment. The clean waters and the abundant food supply in the South
Seas, with its dense plankton growth, the favorite food of Pinctada
maxima, also helps nacre formation and the growth of a larger pearl with
thick nacre.
For cultured South Sea pearls besides the larger size
of the pearl oyster species, and environmental factors, other factors
that affect the size of the pearls include the size of the implanted
bead and the time given for the pearls to grow in the oyster. The larger
gonad enables a larger bead to be implanted, resulting in a larger
pearl. The minimum time given for cultured South Sea pearls to grow is
two years, which results in a larger pearl. In comparison Akoya pearls
are harvested only after 9-16 months, which results in a smaller pearl
with thin nacre.
The shape of South
Sea pearls
South Sea pearls are formed in a variety of different
shapes. Eight basic shapes of South Sea pearls have been recognized.
They are arranged in order of their market value as follows :-
round, semi-round, button, drop, pear, oval, baroque and ringed.
Perfectly round pearls are the most valuable and the least valuable
pearls are the circle or ringed pearls. Baroque pearls which are
irregular in shape are more valuable than ringed pearls. Perfectly round
pearls are not only the most expensive and the most sought after, but
also the most rare of South Sea pearls. If an oyster tend to lie on one
side while the pearl is being cultured, the pearl will most likely be
unevenly coated and attain a shape other than round. Likewise if the
oysters environment is disrupted by unpredictable weather
conditions, the chance of the formation of a perfectly round,
blemish-free pearl also decreases. Thus the availability of a perfectly
round South Sea pearl is considered to be a paragon. Semi-round pearls
are more common than perfectly round pearls, and are also more valuable,
second in value only to perfectly round pearls. Thus it is more common
to see South Sea pearl necklaces mixed with round and semi-round
pearls, rather than a South Sea pearl necklace made up of only perfectly
round pearls, which is extremely rare and considered to be an investment
grade South Sea pearl necklace.
Button pearls which are symmetrical and flat on one
side are quite common and used in necklaces, and also in jewelry pieces
and earrings either alone or in combination with diamonds. Drop-shaped
pearls that resemble a drop of water are symmetrical and broader at one
end and narrower at the other. The term pear-shaped is self explanatory,
symmetrical and broader at one end and narrower at the other.
Oval-shaped pearls are also symmetrical, but broader in the middle and
narrower at both ends. Baroque pearls are irregular in shape without any
symmetry, and ringed or circled pearls have rings encircling them. The
term drop pearl has a vague usage and can be variously used to refer to
the actual drop-shaped pearl, pear-shaped pearl and sometimes even for
oval-shaped pearls.
What is a perfectly
round pearl ?
A perfectly round South Sea pearl is defined as a
pearl having the same diameter all round when measured with a vernier
calipers or has a variation in diameter of less than 2% between its
shortest and longest diameters. The variation in diameter is given by
the formula :-
(1 - shortest diameter/longest diameter) x 100.
eg :- If the shortest diameter of a pearl is 10 mm
and the longest diameter 10.1 mm, the variation in diameter is
= (1 - 10/10.1) x 100%
= (1 - 0.99) x 100%
= 0.01 x 100%
= 1.0%
Thus the pearl has a variation in diameter of 1% and
is still considered a perfectly round pearl. The ratio shortest
diameter/longest diameter x 100% is known as the roundness of the pearl.
In this instance it is equal to 0.99 x 100 = 99%. Thus only pearls that
have a roundness of 98% to 100% are considered as perfectly round
pearls.
What are
semi-round pearls ?
A semi-round pearl can also be defined using the
above criteria of variation in diameter and roundness. Accordingly a
semi-round pearl is a pearl that has a variation in diameter of greater
than 2% and less than 20%. In other words a semi-round pearl has a
roundness of between 80% and 98%.
eg :- If the shortest diameter of a pearl is 10 mm
and the longest diameter is 10.4 mm, what is the variation in diameter
and roundness of the pearl ?
variation in diameter = (1 - shortest
diameter/longest diameter) x 100
= (1 - 10/10.4) x 100
= (1 - 0.96) x 100
= 0.04 x 100
= 4%
The roundness of the pearl = 96%
Thus the variation of diameter being between 2-20 %
and the roundness between 80-98%, the pearl is a semi-round pearl.
What is a button
pearl ?
Using the same criteria of variation in diameter and
roundness, a pearl that has a variation in diameter of
approximately 20% and a roundness of 80% is known as a button pearl.
eg :- If the shortest diameter of a pearl is 10 mm
and the longest diameter 12.5 mm, what is the variation in diameter and
the roundness of the pearl ?
variation in diameter = (1 - shortest
diameter/longest diameter) x 100
= (1 - 10/12.5) x 100
= (1 - 0.80) x 100
= 0.2 x 100
= 20%
Thus the variation in diameter of the pearl is 20%
and the roundness 80% and the pearl is a button pearl. A range of
variation in diameter of 19-21% and roundness of 79-81% may still be
considered as a button pearl.
The color of South
Sea pearls
The color of
pearls, a combination of body color, overtones and iridescence
The Australian South Sea pearls produced from the
silver-lip variety of Pinctada maxima found abundantly in the north-west
coast of Australia, occur in shades of silver, silver-white,
silver-pink, cream and yelow. Golden colored pearls are also found although not as common
as the other colors. The Paspaley drop-shaped pearls are actually
silver-white pearls, with the characteristic satin luster.
The color of pearls are complex. They are a
combination of three important properties of pearls - body color,
overtone and iridescence or orient. The body color is the predominant
basic color of the pearl, usually caused by a pigment and not by light
interference as overtones and iridescence (orient)Three main factors
that affect the body color of pearls are 1) the species of pearl
oyster 2) the quality of the nacre 3) conditions of the aquatic
environment.
The species of pearl oyster is crucial in determining
the color of the pearls produced, eg:- the black-lip oyster usually
produces black (gray) pearls, the silver-lip oyster produces silver,
silver-white and silver pink pearls, and the gold-lip oyster produces
golden pearls. The quality of the nacre includes the thickness and
the number of layers of nacre. A thick nacre as found in South Sea
pearls is usually associated with rich body color, more overtones and
iridescence. Conditions of the aquatic environment, includes the
presence of certain trace elements that impart color to pigments
associated with body color.
Pigments or biochromes are involved in imparting body
color to some pearls and also the external shells of mollusks. Some
pigments that have been identified are yellow carotenoids, green
porphyrins, blue and red indigoids and black melanins. Color pigments
are secreted by special glandular cells in the mantle, while other
glandular cells secrete fluid calcite and aragonite, during nacre
formation. The pigments bond with the conchiolin, the protein part of
the nacre that helps to glue together layers of calcite and aragonite.
In the case of white and cream colored pearls, no
colored pigments are secreted, and thus the conchiolin is free of bonded
pigments and transparent, allowing the white or cream color of the
aragonite to show through. The silvery white color is believed to be
caused by iridescence, caused by the interference of light as it passes
through the alternating layers of aragonite/calcite and conchiolin.
New research on
the color of South Sea pearls - the edge-band structure produces
interference colors characteristic of its width
New research carried out by Australian scientists
from the South Australian Museum, University of Adelaide, and the
Flinders University of South Australia, in the year 2004, have thrown
new light on color formation in South Sea pearls. The array of colors
identified in pearls produced by the pearl oyster Pinctada maxima,
include a range of silver tones, creams, yellows and gold, in various
degrees of color saturation. The research team established that the
primary body color of South Sea pearls arises not from any pigmentation
but mainly from the interference of light within the binding regions of
the aragonite tiles. The team found that the origin of the variety of
body colors exhibited by South Sea pearls, is due to a newly recognized
structure of the nacre, the "edge-band structure," which give rise to
interference colors characteristic of its width. The width of the
edge-band structure for silver pearls is 74 nm, for cream pearls 80 nm,
and for golden pearls 90 nm. The edge-band structure is a nano-composite
structure containing an organic matrix within the margin of the
aragonite tiles. The colors produced by the edge-band structure, mixed
with the specular reflection of the nacre, and modified by any
pigmentation present give rise to the body color of pearls. The commonly
found white pearls are formed by the disorder of the edge-band
structure, leading to an unsaturation of the color.
The luster of South
Sea pearls
Besides the size, shape and array of colors that make
South Sea pearls extraordinary, it is the deep satin-luster that make
these pearls unique and distinctive and the most expensive and sought
after pearls in the world today. The luster of a pearl is the
reflective quality or brilliance of the surface of the pearl. It is a
measure of the quality and quantity of light that reflects from the
surface, and just under the surface of a pearl. The luster of South Sea pearls whether
white, silver, cream, yellow or gold is deep and velvety, and rich and
luxurious. The pearl owes much of its value to its color and deep luster,
that is less likely to fade or degenerate with time. The color and rich
satin-luster of South Sea pearls are associated with their thick nacre,
which in cultured pearls can be as high as 2 to 6 mm. The thick nacre is
responsible for the rich colors, overtones, luster and high iridescence of the
pearls. The
warm tropical waters in which Pinctada maxima lives causes the rapid
deposition of nacre, which is believed to be one of the factors
influencing the rich satin-luster and soft coloration.
History of the
Paspaley Drop-shaped Pearls
The History of the
Paspaley Family
The arrival of
Theodosis Michael Paspalis in Cossack, Western Australia, in 1919
The history of the Paspaley family in Australia dates
back to the year 1919 when Theodosis Michael Paspalis, a tobacco
merchant from Kastellorizo in Greece, arrived with his family in Cossack
on the Indian Ocean coast of Western Australia, their ship's first port
of call in Australia. Cossack was the center of the pearling industry in
Australia since the 1870s, and was one of the most multicultural cities
of Western Australia, inhabited by Europeans, indigenous aborigines and
Asian pearl fisherman. The town also had a port, the hub of the pearling
industry in the area. Theodosis decided to settle down in Cossack where
the pearling industry was the only viable industry in the area, and made
an investment by buying a share in a pearl lugger. Around this time Australia had become
famous in the world as a source country for top quality mother-of-pearls
used in the production of buttons, knife handles, jewels and inlay of
clocks. Theodosis died 5 years after his arrival in western Australia,
and his children Michael, Nicholas and Mary continued their father's
interest in pearling.
The Paspaleys move
northwards to Port Hedland
When the pearling grounds in the sea around Cossack
were exhausted, the pearling community in Cossack, including the
Paspalis moved further northwards to Port Hedland, which became the new
pearling port for the industry. Michael Paspalis expanded his interests in
pearling and acquired several pearl luggers. He gathered enough
experience in pearling that not only made him a good pearler but also a
good sailor. The other brother Nicholas Paspalis followed suit, and was
introduced to the trade at the age of 14. Within a short period of four
years Nicholas Paspalis too had gathered enough experience, and in 1932
was manning his own pearl lugger diving for shells to supply the market
for mother of pearls.
The Paspaleys
again move northwards to Broome in northwest Australia
After engaging in pearling activities in Port Hedland
for some years, the Paspalis brothers realized, that the area was
heading for the same fate that befell Cossack, their first pearling
station. The area was becoming less profitable as the pearl beds in the
region were getting exhausted. Therefore, the family decided to move
further north to Broome, a small coastal town in the northwest of
Western Australia, where they set up their business, and Nicholas
Paspalis changed the family name to Paspaley. Broome acquired
international fame in the early 20th century, as the world center of
mother-of-pearl production. In the year 1925, the population of Broome
had reached 5,000, and the pearling industry could boast of 400 pearling
luggers, with the town producing almost 80% of the world's requirement
of mother-of-pearls.
The collapse of
the pearling industry during the depression and World War II
Then came the depression of the 1930s followed by
World War II, which resulted in a fall in demand for the mother of
pearls. The entry of Japan into World War II brought about the collapse
of the pearling industry. In Broome 500 Japanese divers who were engaged
in the pearl industry were arrested and interned during the period of
the war. Even most of the pearl luggers were dragged ashore and
destroyed by burning for fear of falling into enemy hands. Some of the
luggers however sailed down south to safer areas like Perth.
Revival of the
mother-of-pearl industry after World War II and its final collapse in
the mid-1950s
After the war the pearl industry in Broome showed
some signs of revival, but the Government of Australia dispensed with
the services of Japanese divers who it believed could not be trusted,
and instead brought in the Kalymnian divers from the Kalymnos in the
Aegean. The mother-of-pearl industry again boomed after World War II,
with an unprecedented demand ensuring record prices until the mid-1950s,
when the manufacture of cheap plastic buttons spelt the doom of the
industry.
Nicholas Paspaley
begins pearling activities from Darwin after World War II
During the period of World War II, Nicholas Paspaley
moved from Broome back to Port Hedland, where he remained until the end
of the war, even though most civilians were evacuated from the town.
After the end of the war he purchased four pearl luggers which were
abandoned by the Australian Navy on Darwin's Dinah Beach. Thus Nicholas
Paspaley became the first person to engage in pearling again after World
War II, basing his operations in Darwin. He continued with pearling
operations from Darwin during the boom period for mother-of-pearls,
until the collapse of the industry in the mid-1950s, following the
invention of the plastic button.
Nicholas Paspaley
turns his attention to pearl culturing after the collapse of the
mother-of-pearl industry.
After the collapse of the mother-of-pearl industry
Nicholas Paspaley turned his attention to pearl culturing. He was well
aware of the success story of the Japanese cultured akoya pearls, and
dreamt of bringing the same technology to the South Seas. He was
convinced that the giant Pinctada maxima oyster endemic to the South
Seas, could be induced to culture pearls of a quality and beauty of the
internationally famed natural South Sea pearls, which were very scarce
and virtually extinct. In the year 1956, he established the first
cultured pearl farm in Australia, in Kuri Bay, 420 km north of Broome,
in partnership with a Japanese businessman Mr. Kuribavashi, in whose
honor the bay was named. Again in
1963, the Paspaley Pearling Company in collaboration with another
Japanese Company, the Arafura Pearling Company, started a second
cultured pearl farm at Port Essington, East of Darwin.
Initial
difficulties encountered by Nicholas Paspaley in the culturing of
South Sea pearls
Initially in the culturing of South Sea pearls using
Pinctada maxima in Kuri Bay and Port Essington, Nicholas Paspaley and
his team of technicians applied the same technique used by the pearl
culturists in Japan in the culturing of Akoya pearls. The results
were not so encouraging due to the high mortality rates of the sensitive
Pinctada maxima oysters. Many oysters died while being transported from
the deep ocean oyster beds to the land based farms, but the mortality
was even higher during the delicate seeding process. During some years
up to 90% of the oysters died, and the commercial viability of the
projects were threatened.
Steps taken by
Nicholas Paspaley to overcome these problems
Pearl farming methods adopted from the Japanese
model were found to be inappropriate for the conditions in Australia,
and was not suited for the frail and sensitive Pinctada maxima oysters.
Nicholas Paspaley and his son Nicholas Paspaley junior, together with
their team of technicians and scientists, studied and researched on each
of the major problems encountered by them, and after years of
observation and patient trial and error, evolved solutions to all
these problems, developing new systems and techniques for every phase of
the pearl culturing process. It was Nicholas Paspaley who first realized
the frailty of the Pinctada maxima pearl oysters, very sensitive to
environmental changes such as pollutants, and vulnerable to stress such
as being out of water for long periods of time, and removal from their
natural environment. As such he correctly predicted that if the stress
placed on the oysters could be minimized, and the seeded oysters allowed
to grow in their natural environment, the chances of success would be
enhanced. This is exactly what he achieved in the 1970s. after
minimizing the stress placed on the oysters, by commissioning Paspaleys
first pearling ship in 1973, which enabled the seeding of the pearls to
be carried out in the ship itself, and the seeded oysters to be quickly
returned to their natural habitat. The new farming methods evolved that
laid emphasis on a respectful partnership with nature, eventually
resulted in healthier oysters, with drastically reduced mortality rates,
and bigger and more luxurious pearls.
Pasparley
Pearling Company sets the standards for culturing South Sea pearls
Pasparley Pearling Company is today the undisputed
leader in the culturing of South Sea pearls, and the new systems and
techniques developed by the company for all phases of the culturing
process are now regarded as the standard for the culturing of South Sea
pearls by countries like Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar, Malaysia and
Thailand, countries situated in the South Sea, where pearls are
cultured. Today the company operates around 20 pearl farms situated
along the 2,500 km stretch of coastline in northern and western
Australia, extending from the Cobourg Peninsula to the northeast of
Darwin to Dampier in Western Australia. The farms are located in
isolated bays along this coastline, chosen mainly for the pollutant-free
pristine waters ideal for South Sea pearl culturing, and the protection
they provide from seasonal cyclones common in this area.
The company has
deployed a fleet of a dozen ships and three aircraft to take care
of all aspects of pearl culturing, delivering supplies and the movement
of crew
The company has also deployed a fleet of pearling
ships to take care of all aspects of pearl culturing, and supply ships
that carry supplies to the isolated farms that stretch across a distance
of 2,500 km. The efforts of the supply ships are supplemented by three
light aircraft, that are used for crew movements and supplies on a daily
basis. Today the company has more than a dozen ships and countless
smaller working craft that are employed for all aspects of the pearl
production cycle, including fishing, transport, seeding, husbandry and
harvesting, as well as delivering supplies and maintenance. Among the
fleet there are five "dive ships" working the pearl beds off the famous
"Eighty Mile Beach." These ships are the "Paspaley Pearl" the first
pearling ship commissioned in 1973, "Clare II," "Odin II," "Paspaley
II," and "Marilynne." Divers who operate from these ships collect wild
pearl oysters from the pearl beds, which are then transported to the
"mother ships" also operating in the vicinity. There are three mother
ships serving the "dive ships." These are "Paspaley II," "Paspaley III,"
and "Paspaley IV." Paspaley II serves both as a dive ship and
mother ship. The "mother ships" are floating laboratories where the
crucial "seeding operation" takes place, before the pearls are returned
to their natural habitat, which reduces the time the oysters are out of
the ocean, and thus decreases the risk of trauma. The mother ships
shuttle between the oyster beds and the farms. In remote locations
smaller ships remain as permanent headquarters, performing all tasks
such as diving, transport, seeding, husbandry and harvesting.
Nicholas Paspaley
Senior dies in 1984 at the age of 71
Nicholas Paspaley died in 1984 at the age of 71, and
today the company is managed by his son Nicholas Paspaley Junior, and
daughter Roselyn. Another daughter Marilynn is a well known actress. The
life of Nicholas Paspaley Senior is a testimony to what an individual
can achieve if he develops a clear vision, and goes about with
indomitable courage, determination and hard work in realizing this
vision, surmounting all obstacles on the way, not being discouraged by
failures, persevering in spite of all odds against him, and finally
achieving the goals set by his vision. Starting work at the age of 14,
he worked continuously for 57 years, even working on the day he died in
1984. During the 57 years of his working life, his vision became a
reality with Paspaley emerging as the world's leading producer of
quality South Sea cultured pearls. Nicholas Paspaley was a pioneer in a
harsh and unforgiving industry. He lived and died, on the cusp of a
revolution in the pearling industry, a revolution partially initiated by
him, that led to the domination of cultured pearls in the international
pearl markets. Ironically, Nicholas Paspaley died in 1984, on the very
day he returned home with the finest crop of South Sea cultured pearls
of his life.
The history of
harvesting natural South Sea pearls in Australia
Exploitation of South
Sea pearl oysters by the Aborigines
The South Sea pearl oysters occurring in the most
prolific oyster beds off the coast of northern and western Australia,
had been harvested by the Australian Aboriginal people for hundreds or
perhaps thousands of years, mainly as a source of food, or for their
shells which perhaps were used by these ancient people to turn out
various utility items including jewelry, as in other ancient cultures.
It is now known that traders from China, Macassar (Celebes) and
Indonesia had established trade links with the Aboriginal people of
Australia, and some of the items traded were oyster shells and the
occasional pearls found in them. It has been reported that by the time
the first Europeans settled in Australia, the aborigines had a well
established network for trading in pearl shells, both inside Australia
and with the Makassan traders, who had visited Northern Australia since
the 17th and 18th centuries, to trade with the indigenous inhabitants.
Exploitation by the
first European settlers beginning in the early 1860s
In western Australia commercial pearling for pearl
shells began in the early 1860s and developed in parallel with the
cattle industry, after the pioneering pastoralists arrived on the shores
of Sharks Bay and Nickol Bay, 500 km and 1,500 km north of Perth. The
new settlers subjugated the aboriginal pearl shell harvesters, and used
their skills to exploit the predominant oyster species found in Sharks
Bay, the small bivalve Pinctada albina, which yielded commercial
quantities of small irregular shaped yellowish pearls of around 3 mm in
size. At Nickol Bay they exploited the much larger oyster species
Pinctada maxima, for both their mother-of-pearls and the much rarer
lustrous silvery-white pearls. With the rapid depletion of oyster shells
in the shallow coastal waters, the aboriginal harvesters were forced to
move into deeper and deeper waters, sometimes up to 2 km offshore, using
large boats carrying 6-8 aboriginal men and women, who used to
"naked-dive" into the deep waters, each diver recovering an average of
10-25 pairs of shells in a day. However over exploitation of the pearl
beds including indiscriminate removal of undersized and immature shells,
caused rapid depletion of resources, and forced the pearlers to move
progressively northwards until they reached Roebuck Bay, in Broome,
which by the end of the 19th century became the largest producer of
mother of pearls in the world.
Edwin Streeter a
pioneer of the West Australian pearling industry
During this period the Australian pearling industry
attracted a great pearling enthusiast and investor from Europe, the
famous English gem merchant Edwin Streeter who migrated to western
Australia after his retirement from the London retail jewelry trade, and
settled down in Broome in the mid 1880s. Streeter invested his time,
effort and money in developing the pearling industry in Broome, and was
the first to introduce hard hat diving to the area, which was a distinct
technological advancement. The successful entrepreneur that Streeter
became, he was able within a short time to purchase several schooners,
that were employed to service fleets of smaller pearling luggers
operating in the waters of northwestern Australia in searh of pearl
shells and pearls. By the year 1890, Edwin Streeter had established
himself in Broome, having acquired a pastoral property on the outskirts
of the town, and built a store and house in Broom, and becoming
the owner of almost one-eighth of the pearling fleet operating out of
Broome. Streeter who is considered a pioneer of the West Australian
pearling industry died in the year 1923.
First attempts to
culture pearls in western Australia in the 1890s and the 1920s and
government intervention that stifled these attempts
The first attempts to grow cultured pearls in
Australia were made in the 1890s, when another pioneer of the pearling
industry and pearl enthusiast G. S. Streeter grew cultured pearls in
Roebuck Bay, in Broome. However the attempt proved to be economically
unviable. A second attempt was made by A. C. Gregory in the early 1920s
to cultivate pearls near Broome, that met with the disapproval of the
West Australian Government, who killed all attempts by introducing
legislation prohibiting the production, selling and possession of
cultured pearls. The new legislation was probably intended to protect
the natural pearl industry, but in the long run had a negative impact on
the pearl industry, as natural pearls were becoming scarcer, and the
Japanese were able to forge ahead with their culturing program, which
led to their domination of cultured pearl market for the next half a
century.
It was only in 1949 that the Australian Government
thought it fit to repeal this retrogressive legislation, a step that was
too little and too late, to catch up with the Japanese cultured pearl
industry which had already captured the world markets, spelling the doom
of the natural pearl industry, in the traditional pearling countries of
the world. However, in the year 1956, solely after the collapse of the
mother-of-pearl industry in Australia, following the successful
production of plastic buttons, that were a cheap substitute for
the MOP buttons, an enterprising Greek immigrant based in Darwin,
Australia, Nicholas Paspaley went into collaboration with the Japanese
and Americans to launch the first successful cultured pearl farm at Kuri
Bay, to the north of Broome in northwestern Australia. The project was
successful in spite of some initial hurdles, and by 1973, Kuri Bay was
producing almost 60% of the world's large white South Sea pearls. Today
around 16 commercial pearl cultivators are operating in the West
Australian waters, prominent among whom are the companies belonging to
Paspaleys and M.G. Kailis.
The possible period of
discovery of the Paspaley Drop Shaped Pearls
From the year 1919 when the Paspaley's first settled
in Cossack in Western Australia up to the mid-1950s when the
mother-of-pearl industry collapsed in Australia, the Paspaley Pearling
Company had been dealing mainly in pearl shells which were collected by
their pearl luggers for export. The rare natural South Sea pearls which
were discovered occasionally from the daily haul of South Sea pearl
oysters brought in by the pearl luggers, were actually a by product of
this mother-of-pearl collection industry, and might have made
significant contributions to the annual income of the company given the
international demand for the rare and unique natural South Sea pearls.
Thus the Paspaley Drop-shaped pearls which are now a part of the
Paspaley treasures preserved by the company, would have been most
probably discovered during this period, when the company was dealing in
natural South Sea pearls, the by product of their shell collecting
industry. That could have been anytime between 1919 and the mid-1950s,
save the period of the world depression and World War II. In all
probability the pearls would have been discovered after World War II,
when their was a boom in the mother-of-pearl industry, with an
unprecedented demand that ensured record prices, until the mid-1950s,
and a corresponding increase in production to cater to this demand.
The source of the Paspaley
Drop Shaped Pearls
The source of the Paspaley Drop Shaped Pearls were
undoubtedly the unspoiled oceans off the coast of western, northwestern,
and northern Australia, the natural home to the world's largest beds of
the most prized of the world's pearl oysters, the giant Pinctada maxima
oyster. The Paspaleys lived and worked successively in the port cities
of Cossack, Port Hedland, Broome and Darwin, during the period 1919 to
the mid-1950s, and exploited the rich pearl oyster beds off the coast of
these cities. Thus the Paspaley Drop Shaped pearls could have originated
from any one of these pearl oyster beds in northwestern and northern
Australia, which included the famous pearl oyster beds off the
eighty-mile beach. If the pearl was discovered during the boom period of
the mother-of-pearl industry immediately after World War II, it would
have most probably originated in the pearl oyster beds off the City of
Darwin in Northern Australia, where the Paspaleys were based, and from
where they conducted their operations.
Classification of Pinctada maxima
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Mollusca
Class : Bivalvia
Order : Pterioida
Family : Pteriidae
Genus : Pinctada
Species : maxima
The five important
Pinctada species of commercial value and their distribution
The Genus Pinctada under the family Pteriidae is an
important Genus of bivalve mollusks, to which belongs most of the
saltwater pearl-producing oysters. There are five species under the
Genus Pinctada which are of significant commercial value. The five
species are listed in the table below, which also gives their common
name, their distribution and the type of pearls produced by them.
Pinctada species
of commercial value and their distribution
|
S/N |
Pinctada species |
Common name |
Distribution |
Type of pearls produced |
|
1 |
Pinctada radiata |
Gulf-pearl oyster |
Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Mannar, Panama, Colombia, Venuzuela |
Silvery white, cream, and light pink pearls; also occasionally yellow,
brown, and violet |
|
2 |
Pinctada margaritifera |
Black-lip oyster |
Persian Gulf, Australia, Fiji, Tahiti, Myanmar, Baja California |
Black South Sea pearls or Tahitian pearls |
|
3 |
Pinctada maxima |
White-lip oyster, Gold-lip oyster |
Myanmar,
Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Fiji, Tahiti |
White and Golden South Sea pearls |
|
4 |
Pinctada fucata martensii |
Akoya pearl oyster |
Japan, China |
Akoya cultured pearls |
|
5 |
Pinctada albina |
Smaller Australian oyster or
Shark Bay pearl oyster |
Australia, Philippines, China, Vietnam, Korea, Micronesia |
yellow and small pearls Species used for culturing blister pearls |
