Doha, Qatar: Each year, throughout the Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition (DJWE), Qatar’s pearls are on display. Qatar and the pearl are forever intertwined, and the country’s leading jewellery connoisseurs showcase their designs featuring this precious jewel and honouring the local culture.
Pearl diving and trading in Qatar dates back to as early as 4,600 BCE. Located amidst the Arabian Gulf, the coastal waters of Qatar have been abundant with oysters, particularly the prized pearl oysters, and are an ideal location for pearl diving. The jewel has had a significant impact on Qatari culture, history, economy, and international relations.
Early Qatari pearl divers would sail into the Arabian Gulf on traditional dhows, and dive into the sea to collect molluscs. This task was incredibly hazardous due to the dynamic waves, the hot weather, and dangerous sea creatures. Divers would often face fungal diseases due to the constant damp nature of the task of 50 to 60 dives per day.
Each dive would have divers hold their breath with a nose peg for up to two minutes at a time, up to 18 metres deep underwater. Once the oysters were collected, pearls were then retrieved from them and kept in a safe on the dhow, while the shell was either discarded or sold after being converted into ‘Mother of Pearl’. Pearls were transformed into jewellery and used as currency. Pearl divers created songs and folk dances to represent pearl diving, passing them onto the next generations, preserving their legacy.
Initially, pearls were traded to India, Persia, and the Ottoman Empire. The 19th and early 20th centuries saw a surge in pearl trading, symbolising it as the golden era.
