Paspaley is the world's foremost producer of cultured Australian South Sea pearls and high quality white mother-of-pearl - the rarest and most valuable of all cultured pearls combining unrivalled size, nacre quality, and natural colour and lustre. Paspaley is the preferred supplier of South Sea pearls to the world's leading jewellery houses.
Since 1935, Paspaley divers have descended into the remote waters of the Kimberley to hand collect wild oysters - Pinctada maxima. Paspaley is one of the last in the world to continue this tradition. Today, our pearling interests span from the Exmouth Gulf in Western Australia to Cobourg Peninsula in the Northern Territory.
Paspaley pearling production is wholly vertically integrated - from the hand collection of pearl oysters, seeding, cultivation, harvesting, and grading, to the distribution and marketing of pearls, pearl jewellery, mother of pearl and pearl meat.
Paspaley provided an award-winning film crew with access to our pearling operations to film a National Geographic documentary showcasing the Australian pearling industry. Secret Life of Pearls delves into the adventure, beauty, mystery and romance of the Australian South Sea pearl. View the documentary here.
The Making of a Pearl
From the depths of Western Australia’s wild coastline to the moment of reveal, discover a process shaped by nature, patience and generations of expertise.
Our Fleet
Paspaley operates the world’s most experienced pearling fleets: 14 specialised vessels ranging from 22 to 52 metres that work along Australia’s remote north-west coastline from the Cobourg Peninsula to Broome. Diving ships, operational vessels and farm-support craft sustain every stage of pearling throughout a season spanning March to December.
Aboard advanced vessels such as MV Paspaley 4, expert crews collect, seed and carefully return Pinctada maxima oysters to the sea to grow under managed conditions. Spending up to five weeks at sea at a time, Paspaley’s fleet reflects the scale and dedication required to work in our significant wild pearl oyster fishery, sustainably managed in partnership with government authorities.
Paspaley South Sea Pearls
Australian South Sea pearls are the rarest and most valuable of all cultured pearl varieties. The South Sea pearl oyster, Pinctada maxima, is also the world’s largest pearl oyster, producing the finest pearl nacre of any mollusc. Solitary by nature, Pinctada maxima oysters thrive only in waters rich in microscopic plankton.
Divers hand-collect wild oysters in the remote waters of north-west Australia before transferring them to pearl farms for careful nurturing in the hope of producing a gem-quality pearl. Not every oyster will produce a pearl, and, with rare exceptions, most produce only one pearl at a time.
Paspaley South Sea pearls with high transparency and colour overtone, known as 'orient', are produced exclusively in Australia. This unique play of surface colour occurs naturally only in pearls with premium nacre. Pearls in other regions may be subject to chemical and heat treatments to imitate this effect.
Wholesale
Paspaley is the preferred supplier of Australian South Sea pearls to many of the world's leading jewellery retailers and wholesalers. A passion for excellence and commitment to quality is at the heart of everything we do. It is with the same passion and excitement that we approach and build long-term partnerships with our wholesale and retail customers.
Paspaley distributes its pearls through international, invitation-only auctions and private sales.
In 2021, Paspaley launched an industry-first trade-only online portal, allowing registered partners access to a wide range of single pearls, pairs, bracelets and strands.
Mother-of-Pearl
Paspaley’s operations began with harvesting mother-of-pearl from wild Australian Pinctada maxima oysters collected along Western Australia’s remote 80 Beach.
Celebrated for its strength, beauty and versatility, this distinctive nacre features in luxury applications from fine jewellery and watch dials to buttons and decorative objects.
Pearl Meat
Sourced from Pinctada maxima oysters farmed in the remote marine waters of north-west Australia, we harvest Paspaley Pearl Meat at the end of an oyster's pearl-producing life. Rinsed in saltwater and frozen at sea, it is free of additives and preservatives.
Prized across Asia for centuries for its nutritional and medicinal properties, pearl meat is low in salt, high in protein, and rich in vitamins and minerals, including calcium, iron, selenium and zinc. With only six to eight tonnes harvested annually, it remains one of the world's rarest seafood delicacies, increasingly sought by leading chefs worldwide for its distinctive texture and flavour.
Working In Pearling
Our pearling operations stretch across some of Australia's most spectacular coastlines and unique marine environments, where the Paspaley family has harvested pearl oysters for more than 90 years.
With a fleet of 14 vessels operating between the Cobourg Peninsula in the Northern Territory and Broome in Western Australia, our extensive pearling and farming operation spans more than 2,000 kilometres. The Paspaley family has been harvesting from these waters for over 90 years.
Positions include:
- Deckhand
- Qualified marine skippers
- Chef / Cook
- Kitchenhand / Domestic
- Mechanic
- Marine Engine Drivers - Class 3
Sustainability And Regulation
Pearl farms are regulated under the Western Australia’s Pearling Act 1990 and Northern Territory’s Fisheries Act 1988. This is implemented through a combination of licences and a quota system that sets out the maximum number of Pinctada maxima oysters that can be farmed each year. Due to managed regulation, Pinctada maxima oysters have followed relatively stable long-term trends.
The pearling industry regularly conducts ecological risk assessments of the Pinctada maxima oyster to assess the impact of pearling operations and activities on the environment in which it operates. The assessment, conducted by the Western Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, conforms to AS/NZS ISO 31000 Risk Management Standard. Results of the latest assessment conducted in 2023, did not yield any high risks, with the majority of metrics determined to be low or negligible risk. This assessment is valid until 2027 when the next ecological risk assessment will take place.
The combination of stable long-term trends with minimal ecological risks, has supported Australia’s Pearling Industry being re-certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council in 2023 with the following Certificate Number: MSC-F-30005. The Marine Stewardship Council is an international non-profit organisation that certifies under their Fisheries Standard.
This certification is valid from 2023 to 2028 and was independently evaluated by bio.inspecta and accredited by ASI under the ASI-ACC-041 voluntary sustainability standard.
The Marine Stewardship Council re-certified Pinctada maxima Pearl Meat in 2023 as sustainable, with Certificate Number: MSC-F-30005. This certification is valid until 2028. Pearl Meat also holds the MSC Chain of Custody certification, with Certificate Number: MSC-C-56167, providing assurance that all products sold with the blue MSC label have been certified as sustainable. This certification is valid to 2026.
Both certification processes were independently evaluated by bio.inspecta and accredited by ASI under the ASI-ACC-041 voluntary sustainability standard.
The Pinctada maxima Pearl Meat also receives Food Safety Management certification under the following accreditation: Food Safety management ISO 22000; Registration Number AU1420-FS, with certification valid to 2028. This is independently certified by TQCS International (Group) Pty Ltd.
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