Australian Central Coast Oyster Growers Produce Pearls

Australian Central Coast Oyster Growers Produce Pearls

IT turned out to be a pearler of an idea. Four Brisbane Water rock oyster farmers who decided to have a go at growing pearls are slowly but surely creating a huge success.

Peter Clift, Ian Crisp, Roger Clarke and Denis Paterson quietly began their pearl operation in 2005 under the name Broken Bay Pearls.

They may be “small time” in terms of the Australian pearl industry, but they are putting the Central Coast on the map.

“The hardest thing for us right now is trying to get word out there that the Central Coast can produce pearls,” Mr Clift said.

“Everyone is so used to oysters being farmed here that when we say we’re actually also pearl farmers some of the locals laugh.” The past few weeks have been a busy “harvesting” time for the company which is attracting widespread interest both in Australia and overseas.

“This year we harvested about 12,000 oyster shells and we expect to yield between 3000 and 4000 high quality pearls,” Mr Clift said.

The company produces Akoya pearls, which have a more natural colour and superior lustre to many of the imported varieties from Asia.

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