The Story of my Bahraini Pearls

James Bond likes pearls? That makes me like him better. I thought he just liked girls.

I kinda liked Pierce Brosnan in the role.

What became of the model dhow?

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It went to my uncle. He turned the island back to the
al Kalifa ( the Sheikh of Bahrain) family because he didn't want to move there.

resulted from a saffron-dyed cord

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I think my grandpa may have put it together from pearls gathered from around the Persian Gulf from several sources. It went straight onto a graduated necklace and eventually went to my mom. In the 10-20 years he ran the dhow, he only gathered enough top quality rounds for three necklaces. The son, (my uncle) got the 8-9mm same size pearl choker (by far the most valuable), a longer graduated strand went to my aunt. I gave my sister 1/2 half the pearls from mom's strand. Sadly she never developed any feeling for what she had and gave them away to friends and family, most of whom never did understand they were real, wild gathered pearls!

Does anyone remember "Theater (or Ballet) Shoes"? Posey had a coral necklace

I made a necklace for my sister's oldest daughter, when she was around 4 with 10 of the round coral, 1 seed pearl, repeated until it was adult choker size, about 14-15". I don't know what happened to that one either. But the one I made for Kether, my elder daughter, was given to the youngest (Zoe) and she still wears it.

Another thread bump, Caitlin's Grandfather's pearl dhow, and articles about

Thanks for the thread bump. Makes for wonderful reading this Easter weekend. Am intoxicated by the pictures and pearls.

Good bumping! I hadn't seen this thread...really interesting!

My pleasure! I always joke about getting lost in pearl-guide. Following old posts is a fun ramble!

Thanks for bumping this one up! I've read through tons of old posts but never encountered these. Caitlin, it's a fascinating family history, and so glad to know that you still have at least some of your grandfather's pearls.

Umm a Sabann revisted

Umm a Sabann revisted

Caitlin said:

Here is a recent image of Umm a Sabaan island. It is about 1 mile by 1/4th mile about 100 acres. (not sure hoow one translates to the other, but I have heard both.

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This is an amazing story have you ever thought to go back there again?

Yes, I have, but not had an opportunity. I'll just have to wait until they get more internet savvy!

Fascinating story, Caitlin! Loved the photos, too.

I keep on looking at this Island on Google maps and just adore the story of your grandfather - almost sounds like the makings of a Hollywood movie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1441952/
What is the situation of the Island now and do you know if there have been any attempts to re visit the oyster beds there?

Images of Modern day Umm as Sabban - home of Gulf Natural Pearls

Images of Modern day Umm as Sabban - home of Gulf Natural Pearls

Some lovely images of today's Umm as Sabban island - just lovely

that was bare rock when my g-pa took it over but he hit freshwater with a well. It is more developed than it was back then. It belongs to the al Kalifa family so they may have awarded it to someone else.

Have so enjoyed this great read, thank you.
I was just thinking about a thread on the lines of "Your first pearls - when and how?"
This has to be one of the best whens and hows!

Hi HH
By all means, start one! It sounds like a lot of fun.

Caitlin -- What a wonderful and fascinating story! Since you first posted -- have you come across more pictures? I'd love to see more pictures of your visit to the island when you were 13.

A catch up post 7 years later!

A catch up post 7 years later!

I have to go through that trunk of photos I mean to scan. I mean to do it. I really do....lol!

Did anyone ever notice that was Clare Booth Luce in the photo taken in Rome? She was the US ambassador to Italy under Ike, I think it was. She and her hubby, the rupert murdock of his day, were very good friends with my grandparents and she had Clare hang out with us while we waited 4 hours for the flight to Beirut. That photo made the local roman papers. Her name is written sideways on the photo in my grandmother's handwriting. My grandparents were a power couple and very political. They moved in real power circles due to my gramp's position as Petroleum Advisor to the USA state dept. I have had pangs of conscience about the way big oil has behaved in the world and actually embarrassed to be some kind of heir to all that, so I eschewed that life in 1966 and went hippy in the Haight-Ashbury and was happy to take apart the strand of pearls- (graduated pearls were really, really out of style in 1969, except at the 7 sister colleges, lol) and no one knew what I was talking about, or cared that they were natural. It is amazing I held onto as many as I did.

Since I first wrote this, (what? 7 years ago!!!) I have acquired more Bahraini pearls. Since I wrote this, my sister gave me about 5 inches of the smallest pearls, which she had never used because she was never a beader and they languished in a drawer. I got a second strand like that one from ebay in 2006 or so with poorly shaped pearls rather yellowish. A couple of years ago I saw one on Craig's list with a cert from Bahrain (al Hashimi?) for $330 and announced it over here, begging someone to get it, since it was an outrageous deal even if the pearls were rather poorly shaped. Jeremy bought it out of curiosity I think, but he passed it on to me! What a thrill that was! Then I got a third strand of the yellowish poorly shaped ones from from Bodecea just over a year ago. I have combined 2 of the three strands with off shapes into a 30+" strand with a bracelet and a necklace clipped together, the sizes randomly mixed and will probably add the 3rd strand in when I restring them (again)
the al Hashimi strand
Mickey's pearls as a bracelet
rearranging the al Hashimis for the double strand with SS keshi from Care Ehret for the larger ones. and a seashell.
The first redo. (Another coming up soon)

Thanks for bumping this BAS! Caitlin wow what a fascinating family history!!! Thank you for the seven year update and for posting some photos of your beautiful pearls. I hope you will find time to go through your old photos and post some more for us. What a sweet thing for Jeremy to do for you

Caitlin -- thanks for the update! I like the pearls in every variation you show. And I love that snapshot of pearl history with graduated strands only being appealing to girls attending a 7 sisters college in the late 60's! Everything just goes around and around. It's a comforting thought. Please do post more pictures of the fascinating people and pearls in your history when you are able. It's great fun for us to read and nice to have gathered in one thread.

Caitlin said:

Wow! Thanks Barbie!

When I first started this thread, who would have known I'd stick around like this? When I get interested in something I plunge right into it, right over my head, often as not. Fortunately, there is no bottom to the depths of pearl knowledge, so I am likely to stick with this the rest of my life!

We all really need to acknowledge Slraep as the one with the passion for keeping and maintaining the earth, air and seas in healthy condition. She leads the way; I am just a "Me-Too" person when it comes to taking taking those positions.

I just LOVE it when people who come over here because they developed a passion for pearls and/or collecting them, start poking around in the pearl knowledge, history, and peripheral issues of this forum. And over time we have gathered some real experts who are willing to share all aspects of growing pearls, harvesting the shell for the beads, designing, knotting, and much more.

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Hi Caitlin I recently read your story about your grandfather and Bahrain. the Oil Refinery and Pearls. I lived in Bahrain for 30 years, unfortunately returning to the UK in 2021.

In many ways its a shame that you broke up the Bahrain pearls you have because they are staggeringly valuable. They are still dived for. They are of course seawater pearls which are created naturally ‘free range’. In 2013 Danat opened which is the Gemstone and Pearl Laboratory which can certify Bahrain pearls and which are not because the ban on outside pearls was lifted around this time. Interestingly I have a string of them too and am just about to send them to Danat for re-certification and valuation. I’ll let you know what they say!