A Glimpse into Our Annual Pearl Harvest at the Abrolhos Islands

We wanted to take a moment to share something special with you, straight from the source, our annual pearl harvest at the Abrolhos Islands! 

Each year, this is more than just a process for us; it’s a moment of surprise and excitement. Watching these pearls emerge, knowing their journey started years ago in our oyster farm, is always magical. It’s an experience that connects us deeply to the ocean and the natural beauty that shapes everything we do. 

The process begins with care. Before we can harvest, we first clean the oysters of any fouling, removing barnacles, weeds, and other growth. Once they’re clean, we remove them from the panels and allow them to rest in crates overnight, submerged in water to settle. The next day, we carefully “peg” the shells, gently placing wedges to open them slightly so that our skilled pearl technician can perform the delicate harvesting process. This step is crucial because a well-harvested oyster allows us to re-seed it, with the chance of producing another beautiful pearl in two years. 

This year, we were thrilled with the outcome! The colours of the pearls were absolutely breathtaking, ranging from soft pinks to bright greens and vivid yellows. 

We’re incredibly fortunate to have Kazue, our highly experienced pearl technician, who has been with us since we began seeding pearls in 2002. Originally from Japan, Kazue brings decades of expertise to every pearl we harvest. 

Of course, I couldn’t talk about our farm without mentioning Murray, my husband and a true pioneer in the pearling industry. The pearls we harvested this week came from shells Murray himself bred at his hatchery located right at the Abrolhos Islands. In fact, some of the best results we’ve ever had are from the shell Murray has produced on-site. His passion for aquaculture has shaped much of what we’ve achieved, and although we run separate pearl farms, we’ve always worked side by side to grow the industry here at the Abrolhos Islands. 

We’re excited for what the future holds! Recently, a group of aquaculture businesses received a grant to support a new breeding program, which will help ensure a continuous supply of juvenile spat (shells) to sustain our farms. 

For those who want to know more about the pearl process, here are a few terms we use in the world of pearling: 

• Spat: Juvenile oysters 

• Saibo: A piece of tissue from the mantle of the oyster used in pearl production 

• Hatchery: Where juvenile shellfish are bred for commercial purposes 

• Pearl Technician: The expert who performs the delicate seeding and harvesting process 

• Mantle: The organ in the oyster that lays down the nacre, which forms the pearl 

• Nuclei: The nucleus bead in a beaded cultured pearl is generally a polished sphere made from freshwater mussel shell.

• Seeding Process: The act of placing mantle tissue (cybo) from a donor pearl oyster along with a nuclei both surgically implanted into the gonad (reproductive organ) inside the oyster to grow a pearl 

• Gonad: The oyster’s reproductive organ where the seeding process occurs 

• Pinctada margaritifera: Also known as the black-lipped pearl oyster, responsible for our stunning black pearls, farmed in the Abrolhos Islands and Shark Bay regions 

• Pinctada maxima: The silver-lipped oyster, which produces South Sea pearls with hues of white, cream, pink, and silver—farmed in northern Australia 

• Leeuwin Current: A warm ocean current that flows along the western coast of Australia, greatly influencing the conditions for pearl farming at the Abrolhos Islands. 

We hope this gives you some insight into the incredible journey each pearl takes before it becomes a treasured piece of jewellery. Thank you for being a part of this adventure with us! 

 Warmest regards, 

Pia & the Latitude Jewellers Team