Bahraini Pearls

Bahrain’s illustrious pearling history

Bahrain (the Arabian Gulf’s magical Island Kingdom and a true Garden of Eden) is the world’s premier location of Natural Pearls and is steeped in pearling history. Virtually every ancient author when describing the islands of Bahrain mentions the fine pearls found in its waters. Writing in the first century AD Pliny (AD 23-AD 79) states that the pearl fisheries of Tylos (the classical name for Bahrain) were well known in his time, which in itself is remarkable, but diminishes into insignificance when one understands that the fisheries were known and revered when Bahrain was the seat of ancient Dilmun, (Tilmun, Tilvun, Telmun, Tilman) (late fourth millennium to 800 BC) indeed throughout known history the fisheries have been regarded as the most famous and most valuable in the world.  Two pearls on display in the Bahrain National Museum lay testimony to the longevity of Bahrain’s illustrious pearling endeavors; both pearls that are still attached to fragments of shell, were excavated at Saar (to the west of the Capital Manama) and dated to the Early Dilmun period 2000-1800BC giving pearling in Bahrain a staggering 4,000 year history. 

The superior quality of Bahraini pearls

Bahrain’s pearls were and remain to this day internationally famous for their brilliance, purity and beauty.  Pearls were classified according to size, shape, colour and lustre.  It is thought that the purity and beauty of the finest Bahraini pearls are due to the oyster beds being located near underwater sweet water springs.  The most excellent pearl (Jiwan) used very accurate scales and weights and the pearls’ values were recorded in a special log-book.

Another testimony to the importance of pearls and pearling to Bahrain was the creation of the ‘Pearling Trail’ on the Bahraini island of Muharraq.  The Trail, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on June 30, 2012, is 3.5 km long and was used by pearl divers during much of Bahrain’s history. The Trail consists of 17 buildings that include the residences of wealthy merchants, Bahrain’s oldest and most renowned pearling merchants, shops, storehouses and a mosque, 3 oyster beds located in the north of the island, a segment of the coast and the Bu Mahir fortress in the southern tip of Muharraq. The site is the last remaining example of the cultural tradition of pearling and the wealth it generated at a time when the trade dominated the Gulf economy.