From Pearl Shell to Cultured Pearls: A Timeline of Australian Pearling

From Pearl Shell to Cultured Pearls: A Timeline of Australian Pearling
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Key Takeaways

  • Australia's pearl shell story stretches back more than 20,000 years. First Nations Australians have long collected, carved and traded pearl shell, including through the cultural practice of Riji.
  • Broome became the centre of the global Mother of Pearl trade. By 1910, Broome supplied approximately 80% of the world's Mother of Pearl, with much of the shell used for button manufacturing.
  • Australian cultured pearling emerged from the declide of the pearl shell industry. The rise of plastics contributed to the falling demand for Mother of Pearl, and in 1949 cultured pearling was legalised in Western Australia.
  • The Brown family's pearling story began in 1946. From Dean, Lyndon and Bruce's early work at Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm to James Brown's leadership today, the family has played a significant role in the evolution of Australia's modern pearling industry.
  • Australian pearling continues to evolve. Today's industry extends beyond pearl cultivation into marine research, tourism, sustainability and provenance with Pearls of Australia connecting Australian-grown Saltwater pearls directly to their place of origin.

Summarise This Article

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The story of Australian pearling stretches far beyond the cultured pearls we know today.  

For thousands of years, pearl shell has held cultural significance for First Nations Australians. Later, the discovery of vast Pinctada maxima pearl shell beds transformed towns like Broome and created an industry that supplied much of the world's Mother of Pearl.  

That industry would rise, fall, and ultimately reinvent itself. Pearl shell gave way to cultured pearls, hard-hat divers to modern farming methods, and a once secretive trade gradually became an industry increasingly focused on sustainability, research, education, provenance and transparency.  

In 2026, the Brown family celebrates 80 years of pearling. From Dean Brown's arrival on the Kimberley coast in 1946 to the establishment of Pearls of Australia, their story sits within a much larger history shaped by First Nations knowledge, pioneering pearling families, extraordinary marine environments and generations of people working on the water. 

Bruce Wiggan, Master Pearl Shell Carver, stands on a sandy beach holding a carved Riji shell with red geometric patterns. He is wearing a wide-brimmed black hat with colorful beadwork and a rust-orange shirt, with the ocean and cloudy sky in the background.

More Than 20,000 Years of Pearl Shell 

Australia's relationship with pearl shell began long before commercial pearling.  

Archaeological evidence shows that First Nations Australians have collected, carved and traded pearl shell for more than 20,000 years. Along the West Kimberley, pearl shell has long been used for ceremony, adornment, trade and storytelling, including through the ancient practice of carving Riji by the Bardi and Jawi people of the Dampier Peninsula, WA.  

This deep cultural connection has predated the commercial pearling industry for thousands of years and continues today with Cygnet Bay's resident Master Pearl Shell Carver, Bruce Wiggan. 

History & Culture

1850s-1860s: Commercial Pearling Begins 

Western Australia's commercial pearling industry began in Shark Bay during the 1850s, where the small pearl shell species Pinctada albina was collected for naturally occurring seed pearls.  

Then, in 1861, Pinctada maxima was discovered at Nickol Bay.  

The world's largest pearl producing oyster, Pinctada maxima would eventually become synonymous with the Australian South Sea pearl. Its large, valuable shell initially attracted attention for a very different reason: Mother of Pearl. A commercial rush followed. 

A monochrome vintage illustration or photograph showing two large Pinctada maxima pearl shell pieces labeled R, with two rectangular grids of circular cutouts, on a dark background. A handwritten caption appears along the bottom highlighting the method of cutting Mother of Pearl shell buttons for commercial use.

1870-1920: Broome and Mother of Pearl Boom 

By the 1870s, Mother of Pearl fishing had expanded around Broome. Broome, on Yawuru Country, was gazetted as a town in 1883. Its location access to the rich pearl shell beds of Eighty Mile Beach and helped establish the town as the centre of Australia's pearling industry.  

At this time, the industry's primary prize wasn't the pearl, instead it was the shell. 

Mother of Pearl was highly sought after internationally for buttons and decorative objects. By 1910, Broome was supplying approximately 80% of the world's Mother of Pearl. More than 3,500 people worked within the industry, and around 400 pearling luggers operated from the region. At this stage, Broome had become one of the world's largest pearling centre, but the industry came at an enormous human cost.  

Early shell collection relied heavily on Aboriginal labour, including forced labour practices known as blackbirding. Later, workers from Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, China and other parts of Asia were brought to Broome, often working in extremely dangerous conditions.  

This history helped shape the distinctive multicultural community that remains an important part of Broome's identity today. 

What is Mother of Pearl?

1899-1922: The Cultured Pearl Changes Everything 

While Western Australian prospered from pearl shell, another transformation was taking place in Japan.  

By the end of the 19th century, Kokichi Mikimoto was developing the commercial cultivation of Akoya pearls. The ability to deliberately culture a pearl would eventually change the international pearling industry forever. But in Western Australia, cultured pearling was viewed as a threat.  

Captain Gregory attempted to culture pearls near Broome in the early 1920s, but his experiments were shut down, and the Pearling Act 1922 prohibited pearl production in Western Australia to protect the valuable Mother of Pearl industry.  

This meant that for decades, Japanese producers retained their dominance of cultured pearl production.  

What are Akoya Pearls?

1929-1949: The End of the Pearl Shell Era 

The industry that had built Broome began to decline.  

The Great Depression reduced demand, while World War II brought commercial pearling almost completely to a halt. Pearling resumed after the war, but the world had changed with the the arrival of inexpensive plastic button. This dramatically reduced demand for Mother of Pearl shell. In 1949, the legislation preventing cultured pearl production was repealed, and the collapse of one industry had created the conditioned for another to begin. 

History of Mother of Pearl

A vintage photograph showing Bruce Brown, a diver and young James Brown on the deck of a boat looking out over a body of water toward rocky shoreline islands.

1946: The Brown Family Enters Pearling 

Three years before cultured pearling became legal, Dean Brown entered the Western Australian pearl shell industry.  

Raised on a Wheatbelt farm, Dean purchased a lugger after World War II and sailed north to the Kimberley in pursuit of a future in pearling. He eventually established himself around Cygnet Bay and Shenton Bluff on the Dampier Peninsula. 

This was the beginning of a family relationship with pearling that continued 80 years later.  

Our Story

1956: Australia's First Cultured Pearl Farm 

Australia's first cultured pearl farm was established in Kuri Bay, north of Broome, in 1956.  

Pearls Proprietary Ltd worked with Japanese technicians, whose closely guarded expertise made commercial pearl cultivation possible. The Male family of Broome handled oyster fishing and became the first Australians directly involved in cultured pearl farming.  

For Australia's pearlers, however, one challenge remained: Could Australia develop the knowledge to culture pearls independently? 

Black and white photograph of Lyndon Brown sitting on a boat at Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm working at a small table seeding pearl shell, with a Pinctada maxima on the deck, with open water in the background.

1958-1960: Australia's Cultured Pearl Breakthrough 

At Cygnet Bay, the Brown family began their experiments with cultured pearling.  Dean Brown initially explored Mabe pearl cultivation before his son Lyndoin began conducting experiments with Pinctada maxima in an effort to understand the techniques behind loose cultured pearl production, and in 1960, those experiments succeeded.  

Lyndon Brown became the first non-Japanese person to commercially culture loose pearls while Dean Brown received the first government pearling licences at Cygnet Bay - a significant turning point for Australian pearling.  

Importantly, that knowledge did not remain with one person. Lyndon shared what he had learned with colleagues including Aboriginal men Aubrey Tigan, Tom Wiggan and Gordon Dixon. Together with many other Bardi, Jawi and Yawuru people, their maritime expertise and knowledge of the Kimberley environment became part of the foundations of the developing cultured pearl industry. 

Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm

1970s and 1980s: A Modern Australian Industry Emerges 

Over the following decades, Australian pearling became increasingly sophisticated. 

Cygnet Bay opened Broome's first cultured pearl shop in 1970, while the inaugural Shinju Matsuri Queen wore Cygnet Bay pearls.  

Changes were also happening on the water with modern neoprene wetsuits replacing heavy canvas diving suits and copper helmets. In 1973, Cygnet Bay launched Cygnet Las, a modern fibreglass pearling vessel, followed by the purpose-built aluminium catamaran DMB in 1984.  

By 1985, the industry's last hard-hat diver had been used while at the same time, rising pearl prices attracted new farmers and businesses to Western Australia. The cultured pearl industry was becoming on the Kimberly's defining industries.  

  • Five women posing together in formal evening wear for Shinju Matsuri celebrations in Broome, holding large flower bouquets. The central seated woman wears a red traditional-style dress and a tiara, while the others wear satin evening gowns in blue, red, and magenta.
  • A white catamaran sailboat called the DMB with a blue hull stripe, photographed in the shallow Cygnet Bay water with its masts raised against a pale sky.
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1990s: Innovation and Expansion 

The 1990s brought another wave of Australian pearl farmers and significant changes in farming technology.  

Open water, sub-surface farming systems were successfully trialed, helping pearl farmers adapt their operations to Australian marine conditions and pursue increasingly high pearl quality. The industry was also expanding beyond the South Sea pearl with wild Pinctada fucata identified on Australia's east coast. This species of pearl shell is responsible for the same Akoya pearls produced in Japan and eventually created an opportunity for a distinctly Australian Akoya pearl industry. 

2003: Broken Bay Pearl Farm 

In 2003, Broken Bay Pearl Farm was established in New South Wales by Sydney Rock Oyster farmers, the Crisp family, who expanded into the cultivation of locally grown Akoya pearl shell.  

The farm would eventually become NSW's only pearl farm and an important second chapter in the Pearls of Australia story. 

Broken Bay Pearl Farm

2004: An Extraordinary Australian Pearl 

Then came on of Cygnet Bay's most remarkable harvests. In 2004, the farm produced an exceptional 22.24mm round white pink South Sea pearl. Its combination of size, shape, colour, surface, and lustre made it an extraordinary example of what decades of knowledge and careful cultivation could produce.  

Rather than sell it, the Brome family kept the pearl within the family's collection. Today, it remains on display in our Broome Showroom and is a physical representation of generations spent pursing the iconic Australian South Sea pearl. 

Cygnet Bay Broome Showroom
  • Rose Crisp wearing glasses and a white top works at a wooden table outdoors by Broken Bay Pearl Farm, handling Australian Akoya pearl shell in white trays with blue clips. A large green container, blue hanging nets, and a lake with distant islands of the lower Haweskbury River are visible in the background.

    Rose Crisp, one fo the female pearling technicians and founders of Broken Bay Pearl Farm

  • A close-up of a hand holding a large Australian South Sea white pearl under a digital micrometer caliper, with the display showing a measurement of 22.24 mm, against a solid black background. The largest fine quality, Saltwater South Sea pearl in history.

    Record breaking Australian South Sea pearl harvested at Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm

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2008-2009: Reinventing the Pearl Farm 

The late 2000s brought another major downturn with product challenges which were then followed by the Global Financial Crisis and a collapse in international pearl wholesale markets. By 2009, the Western Australian industry had consolidated dramatically.  

At Cygnet Bay, the response was to rethink what a pearl farm could be. Under James Brown's leadership, the farm opened its doors to the public in 2009, introducing visitors to pearl farming through tours, accommodation, dining, and the opportunity to purchase pearls directly from their source. This meant a traditionally secretive industry was becoming something people could experience first-hand.  

The same year saw the establishment of the Kimberley Marine Research Station at Cygnet Bay, creating a dedicated base for research into the extraordinary tropical marine environment on which pearl farming depends. 

Cygnet Bay Pearl FarmKimberley Marine Research Station

A minimalist beige map of Australia on a cream background, with labeled locations 'CYGNET BAY' and 'BROKEN BAY' and small icon markers near the respective points.

2017-2019: Sustainability, Provenance and Pearls of Australia 

By the late 2010s, the Australian pearling story was evolving again.  

In 2017, Western Australia's pearl shell fishery achieved Marine Steward Council certification, recognising the management of the wild Pinctada maxima. 

In 2018, Pearls of Australia was established, bringing Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm and Broken Bay Pearl Farm together under a shared commitment to provenance, education, traceability and single-origin Australian Saltwater pearls. 

For the first time the story could encompass two very different Australian marine environments and two native pearl species: The Australian South Sea pearl of the Kimberley and the Australian Akoya pearl of New South Wales.  

In 2019, Broken Bay Pearl Farm opened its Shellar Door to the public, extending the farm-direct experience to Australia's east coast.  

Our Pearls

2020-2026: A Changing Environment 

The latest chapter of Australian pearling hasn't been without its challenges.  

COVID-19 disrupted tourism and international markets, while increasingly severe environmental events affected pearl farms on opposite sides of the country. This included the major floods that devastated pearl shell stocks at Broken Bay Pearl Farm in 2021, with further flooding complicating recover in 2022.  

In Western Australia, changing ocean temperatures and extreme marine heat have placed increasing pressure on marine ecosystems. The record marine heatwave of 2025 contribute to widespread coral bleaching along the Western Australian cost, followed by an exceptionally severe cyclone season across the Dampier Peninsula in 2026.  

These events reinforce something pearl farmers have long understood, and that is the health of the pearl farm is inseparable from the health of the ocean.  

The Future 

Alongside these environmental challenges has come a significant shift in what consumers expect from the products they buy. Knowing that a pearl is beautiful is no longer always enough, and people are increasingly asking about where the pearl came from, who grew it, and how it was produced.  

Pearls of Australia has responded by investing in traceability and provenance technology, including becoming the first pearl company to record pearls using blockchain technology and later working with Onegemme to connect individual pearls with their source and sustainability credentials.  

Where cultivation techniques were once closely guarded and pearls traveled through international networks with little connection to their origin, the future is increasingly about transparency.  

A family portrait featuring James Brown and his son and daughter wearing matching linen clothing sets in off-white and beige, standing against a solid light gray background.

2026: 80 Years of the Brown Family Pearling Legacy 

In 2026, the Brown family marks 80 years since Dean Brown first entered the pearling industry. Across those eight decades, Australian pearling has transformed almost beyond recognition.  

Mother of Pearl gave way to cultured pearls. Hard-hat divers gave way to modern farming vessels. A secretive wholesale industry opened its farms to visitors. Australian South Sea pearling expanded to include Australian Akoya pearls, research, tourism, conservation, and increasingly sophisticated systems of provenance.  

Yet the story is much larger than one family. Australia's pearling history belongs to the First Nations communities whose relationship with pearl shell stretched back tens of thousands of years, to the Aboriginal, Asian and European workers who built Broome's early industry, to the pioneering pearling families and farmers who developed cultured pearl production, and to the generation continuing to work on Australia's oceans today.  

The timelines doesn't end in 2026, and like the pearl itself, the Australian pearling story continues to grow, one layer at a time. 

Our Story

Discover The Legacy of Australian-grown Pearl Jewellery

Every pearl carries a story shaped over time, by nature and culture.  

Explore our collections and discover our Saltwater pearl jewellery. 

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Pearling Legacy Collection

Each Australia South Sea pearl, Mabe pearl or Mother of Pearl cultivated in the pristine waters of Cygnet Bay (WA), shaped by the tides and decades of pearling knowledge passed down through generations. The result is a collection that captures the quiet strength of the Kimberley landscape. 

Designed as modern heirlooms, these pieces are both a tribute to where we began at Cygnet Bay and a symbol of the future of Australian pearling. Worn close, carried forward, and connected to a story 80 years in the making. 

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Silhouetted hands holding a string of Mabe pearls in front of a glowing sunset at Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, with the sun low on the horizon and warm orange light filling the frame.

Find the Perfect Pearl Jewellery for you!

Prefer to talk to one of our Jewellery and Pearl experts before purchasing one of our pearl pieces? They would love to help you in any way, please contact them either by sending an email to hello@pearlsofaustralia.com.au or call (08) 6478 6886.

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Australian Pearling Timeline FAQs

When did pearling begin in Australia?

Commercial pearling in Western Australia began in the 1850s at Shark Bay, where Pinctada albina was collected for naturally occuring seed pearls. However, First Nationals Australians had been collecting, carving and trading pearl shell for tens of thousands of years before the commercial industry began.

Why is Broome famous for pearls?

Broome became one of the world's most important pearling centres because of its proximity to abundant Pinctada maxima pearl shell beds. At its peak, around 1910, Broome supplied approximately 80% of the world's Mother of Pearl.

What is the difference between the Mother of Pearl industry and the cultured pearl industry?

The early industry primarily harvested pearl shell for their valuable Mother of Pearl shell, which was used for products such as buttons and inlayed in decorative items. Cultured pearling involved the deliberate cultivation of a pearl inside a pearl oyster. As plastics reduced the demande for Mother of Pearl, cultured pearls became the focus of Australia's modern pearling industry.

When did cultured pearl farming begin in Australia?

Cultured pearling became legal in Western Australia in 1949. Australia's first cultured pearl farm was established in Kuri Bay in 1956, followed by the developed of Cygent Bay Pearl Farm in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

When did the Brown family begin pearling?

The Brown family's pearling story began in 1946 when Dean Brown purchased a lugger and sailed to the Kimberley coast to harvest Mother of Pearl. In 2026, the family celebrates 80 years in the Australian pearling industry.

What role did Cygnet Bay play in Australian cultured pearling?

Cygnet Bay became an important site for developing Australian cultured pearl farming techniques. Lyndon Brown, alongside 3 other Bardi and Jawi men, successfully commercially cultured loose pearls independently of Japanese technicians, while Dean Brown received government pearling licences at Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm.

What pearl species are grown in Australia?

The timeline follows the cultivation of Australian South Sea pearls in Pinctada maxima in Western Australia and Australian Akoya pearls in Pinctada fucata on Australia's east coast. Pearls of Australia today brings together South Sea paerls from Cygnet Bay and Akoya pearls from Broken Bay.

What is special about the 22.24mm Australian South Sea pearl grown at Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm?

Harvested in 2004, the 22.24 round pearl displays a rare pink hue and exceptional quality across the five virtues of pearl grading. It remains in the Brown family collection and is on display in our Broome showroom.

When was Pearls of Australia established?

Pearls of Australia was established in 2018, bringing together Cygnet Bay and Broken Bay pearl farms under a shared commitment to Australian-grown single-origin pearls.

Can you visit an Australian pearl farm?

Yes, Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm opened to visitors in 2009, offering pearl farm experiences, accommodation and farm-direct Saltwater pearls. Broken Bay Pearl Farm opened its Shellar Door to visitors in 2019, providing an opportunity to experience Australian Akoya pearl farming with tours and experiences in New South Wales.

How was Australian pearling changed today?

Modern Australian pearling encompasses much more than pearl cultivation. Marine research, sustainability, tourism, traceability and source of origin verifications are incresingly important, alongside the traditional skills required to cultivate Australian pearls.