After our return to the Cable Beach resort from our trip around the Kimberleys we had one full day before our direct flight back to Sydney and home. It wasn't difficult to book a trip to look at Broome's famous industry developed during the 19th century and still going strong: the pearling industry. We were picked up from the resort by a bus that transported us to the Willie Creek Pearl Farm about 12 km to the north of us. There we attended what amounted to a lecture on how to grow pearls commercially before taking boat trip to look at the industry's 'coal-face' out on the bay.
We heard about the different kinds of oyster and what encourages them to produce high quality pearls. We looked at good examples of high quality and pricey pearls and saw what dimensions determine price: shape, size, colour, complexion, and lustre. The boxes shown below deal with each of these dimensions
We looked inside a pearl-growing oyster and were told about the early days of the industry where Asian workers - for example Japanese people - were hired to dive in the sea or estuary to find oysters with pearls inside. We were also told about contemporary processes for the delivery of cultured pearls and so on before being escorted to our little boat to see where oysters were held and harvested.
Here's Dot on board our vessel listening to the crew's commentary about where we were going and what we'd see. The picture below shows a chain of buoys from which hung metal nets containing the oysters.
And the crew hauled up some of the nets that encaged the little critters. The boat trip also explored Willie Creek
And we saw one of the company's boats returning from harvesting the oyster nets with, presumably decent pearls inside.
We left the vessel we were on and headed to the company's store to try on pearls ... well, Dot did rather than me.
This little necklace cost, if I remember correctly about A$25,000, which was one reason why we walked away without a purchase. Still, the trip was entertaining and informative.
And so to home!
AS
We heard about the different kinds of oyster and what encourages them to produce high quality pearls. We looked at good examples of high quality and pricey pearls and saw what dimensions determine price: shape, size, colour, complexion, and lustre. The boxes shown below deal with each of these dimensions
We looked inside a pearl-growing oyster and were told about the early days of the industry where Asian workers - for example Japanese people - were hired to dive in the sea or estuary to find oysters with pearls inside. We were also told about contemporary processes for the delivery of cultured pearls and so on before being escorted to our little boat to see where oysters were held and harvested.
Here's Dot on board our vessel listening to the crew's commentary about where we were going and what we'd see. The picture below shows a chain of buoys from which hung metal nets containing the oysters.
And the crew hauled up some of the nets that encaged the little critters. The boat trip also explored Willie Creek
And we saw one of the company's boats returning from harvesting the oyster nets with, presumably decent pearls inside.
We left the vessel we were on and headed to the company's store to try on pearls ... well, Dot did rather than me.
This little necklace cost, if I remember correctly about A$25,000, which was one reason why we walked away without a purchase. Still, the trip was entertaining and informative.
And so to home!
AS
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