The hidden depths of Qatar’s pearl diving industry – The National
- Date: 26-Nov-2022
- Source: The National
- Sector:Industrial
- Country:Qatar
The hidden depths of Qatar’s pearl diving industry – The National
As with all of the Arabian Gulf countries, Qatar's main commodity before it began exporting oil and natural gas to the world was pearls, the iridescent precious beads formed in oyster shells.
For centuries, pearls have been used in jewellery and none were considered as fine as the natural ones found in the Gulf, according to author Michael Quentin Morton, who has written eight books on Middle East history, including Masters of the Pearl: A History of Qatar.
Traders in Qatar worked to satisfy Europe’s demand, shipping the gems from local markets to Bombay and onward to Baghdad, London or Paris, Morton says.
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