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Pearl Diving in the Gulf

The Gulf (also known as the "Arabian Gulf" or "Persian Gulf") area has a long history of harvesting natural pearls. The tradition was set aside during the oil boom beginning in the early 20th century, as people could make more money in that industry. In 2010, the countries surrounding the gulf are looking back on the history of pearl hunting and trying to make it part of the future.

History
- Until the 20th century, the only way to get pearls was to dive into the ocean and harvest them by hand. Each oysters (mollusk) had to be opened individually to see if a pearl had formed. In the Gulf, the practice goes back some 4,000 years.
Gulf Pearls
- Pearls around the Gulf are thought to be among the best in the world because the water is a mix of salty and sweet, according to a case study on the American University website. Pearls in the Gulf were traditionally harvested by "breath-hold" divers, who did not use any special equipment to find the oysters that contained pearls. The job was dangerous, and divers were often cut on reefs and sometimes killed by sharks.
Comeback
- Since the early 21st century, countries around the Gulf, especially Bahrain, are hoping that the pearl diving tradition can make a comeback. Qatar has devoted a cultural week to this tradition. Kuwait has started a pearl diving festival and Bahrain has banned the importation of cultivated pearls.

Rocks & Minerals