This material was used to craft buttons, cutlery handles, jewellery boxes, calling card cases, and hair accessories — all richly decorated with shimmering shell. While processing the shells, divers occasionally discovered natural pearls hidden within. These were so valuable that they were locked in special boxes to ensure they reached port safely. A large, fine natural pearl could fetch the price of an entire pearl lugger, so theft was a very real risk.
By the 1950s, the invention of plastic brought the once-thriving shell industry to a halt. With mother-of-pearl no longer in demand, communities that depended on shelling were forced to find new livelihoods.
The Japanese had already been cultivating pearls since the early 20th century, and several Australians began experimenting with pearl farming. Many formed partnerships with Japanese companies, which closely guarded their innovative culturing techniques.
Small farms growing Pinctada margaritifera, the black-lipped oyster that produces Tahitian pearls, appeared off Western Australia’s coast; however, most South Sea pearl farms took
hold off the remote Kimberley coastline, where pristine waters provided the perfect environment.
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| Pinctada maxima oysters | Source: Alchetron |
Meanwhile, Akoya farms developed in the cooler waters along Australia’s east coast.
Then came the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, which devastated the industry. Many farms folded, leaving only a few major players standing.
Today, Paspaley dominates with 38 of the 42 pearl leases or quotas, followed by Autore, another major producer. Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, founded in 1946, remains an icon of Australian pearling, while Broken Bay Pearl Farm in New South Wales — cultivating Pinctada fucata, the Akoya oyster — represents the new generation, having launched only this century.
Modern pearl farming has cleverly diversified.
Eco-tourism has become an integral part of marketing, offering visitors a glimpse into the captivating world of pearl cultivation.
Cygnet Bay and Broken Bay Pearl Farms both offer guided tours and accommodation, while Paspaley now operates tours of its Roebuck Bay farm near Broome and small-boat cruises along the Kimberley coast. Each experience takes visitors through every stage of the culturing process, from oyster seeding to the final harvest.
Recently, there has been an increase in the use of the term 'Keshi'. It is important to clarify this often misused term.
‘Keshi’, meaning poppy seed in Japanese, was initially used to describe very small natural pearls — particularly the rare natural Akoya pearls found in Japan in the early 20th century. Over time, the meaning broadened. Today, the term refers to nacreous, non-bead, saltwater cultured pearls that form accidentally (or deliberately) as by-products of the grafting process.
The first cultured keshi pearls were reported from early Akoya pearl farms in Japan; however, keshi now occur in many types of salt water pearls, including South Sea and Tahitian.
With that said, the term should not be applied to freshwater pearls. True natural pearls form within the mantle or other soft tissue of a mollusc.
Conversely, cultured keshi pearls form close to the gonads of the oyster, making their origin — and correct terminology — important to distinguish.
Australian cultured South Sea pearls can include colours such as white, with pink overtones, silver, champagne, and deep gold, with sizes ranging from 8 to 21mm.
Australian cultured akoya pearls can be white, cream with pink overtones, or even grey-blue colours, and sizes range from seed pearls (2mm and below) to approximately 11mm, with larger sizes being rare.
From the bustling pearling ports of the 19th century to today’s carefully managed farms, the pearling industry continues to evolve.
The romance and adventure of the early pearl-shelling days live on in a new generation of pearl farmers, who combine traditional craftsmanship with science and sustainability. Whether from Broome, Darwin, or Broken Bay, Australian pearls — natural, cultured, or keshi — remain among the most admired and ethically produced gemstones in the world.
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