Australian south sea pearls

To most jewellery lovers, a single pearl’s origins are a source of mystery and wonder. For centuries, natural pearls have been desired for their beauty and rarity, but in recent decades, producers been able to replicate the natural process to culture pearls of singular perfection.

 

With a history of more than 75 years of dedication and innovation, Paspaley Pearling Company is one of the few companies with the experience, expertise and infrastructure to produce pearls of unsurpassed quality. A pearling pioneer synonymous with exquisite Australian South Sea pearls, Paspaley today supplies jewellery houses with the world’s most beautiful pearls, while maintaining its unrivalled commitment to quality and environmental stewardship.

 

The birth of an empire

In 1918, Nicholas Paspaley and his family left their native Greece and settled in remote north-western Australia, where the world’s richest pearl beds teemed with life and diving for mother-of-pearl for button manufacturing was a major industry. At age 18, Nick sailed his first pearling lugger into the unpredictable waters off the coast, armed with little more than a dream – coaxing the rare and sensitive Pinctada maxima oysters to produce South Sea pearls. His discovery of an exceptional natural pearl in the Cossack area in 1935 funded his pearling business.

 

Australia’s first pearl farms

Paspaley’s pioneering spirit gave birth to Australia’s first pearl farm in 1956. Hidden among the rugged coastline of Western Australia’s Kimberley region, Kuri Bay’s pristine waters sheltered the giant Pinctada maxima oysters and enabled Australia’s first pearl farmers to produce organic gems of outstanding quality. In 1962, Paspaley opened its second farm at Knocker Bay in the Northern Territory's Cobourg Peninsula. Today, the company operates 22 farms, dotted along 2500km of coastline.

 

There, dedicated teams of divers and technicians nurture the giant oysters for as long as eight years in order to produce exquisite pearls. A combination of pristine environmental conditions, meticulous quality control and constant innovation have earned Paspaley Pearling Company an international reputation second to none.

 

The world’s first purpose built pearling vessels

The 1970s brought new milestones, including the MV Paspaley Pearl, a 29-metre fibreglass-hulled pearling vessel which was the world’s most modern at the time of its unveiling in 1974. This feat was superseded by the 33.5-metre MV Paspaley II, which was purpose-built in Japan in 1981; the 45-metre MV Paspaley III, released in 1989; and the 52-metre MV Paspaley IV, which today continues to navigate the Australian waters.