The Quest for Mother-of-Pearl main content.
Part of the Pearls exhibition.
Until the 20th century, divers in Tahiti and the Tuamotu Archipelago (both now part of French Polynesia) spent most of their time hunting for mother-of-pearl rather than pearls. The shells of Black-lipped Pearl Oysters and other species of mollusks such as the Green Turban snail often contain thick mother-of-pearl, and Polynesians traditionally used these nacreous shells for buttons or decorative work. Today Polynesians draw on their deep-seated understanding of local pearl oyster beds to preserve them. Larvae from these beds are collected and raised for use in pearl culturing.
Like Polynesians, native Australians historically prized mother-of-pearl over pearls. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, sailing ships known as luggers traveled the waters off the coast of northern Australia in search of mother-of-pearl. The luggers carried one or two divers and their equipment, including helmets and heavy canvas or rubber suits needed for the cold, deep waters. As interest shifted from mother-of-pearl to pearls, however, the Australian diving industry transformed, focusing instead on collecting pearls and the pearl oysters used today for pearl culturing.