Pearls of Heritage

Paspaley has launched a stunning collection of jewellery in honour of the pearl divers that built the industry, and it’s one worth your attention.

Dive charm necklace - white gold Dive thimble pendant, Dive pearl drop earrings

Dive by Paspaley is a tribute to the generations of Paspaley pearl divers and their captivating experiences over 85 years of pursuing the world’s finest pearls.

Paspaley creative director Christine Salter says the collection speaks about a journey into another world, a life beneath the ocean on one of the most unexplored coastlines on earth, as well as the pearling ships that carry the crews out to sea.

Versatility, wearability, and individuality are at the heart of this collection. Inviting the wearer to collaborate on the final touches, Paspaley has designed pieces that can be stacked, layered, added to, and personalised.

Dive by Paspaley features a collection of engraved mother-of-pearl coin charms, which represent the old Dutch guilders found by Paspaley hard hat divers in shipwrecks along the Kimberley coastline. The engravings take inspiration from pearl divers’ encounters in the underwater world they inhabit, as well as the divers’ own tattoos — a tribute to this historical association among men exploring the seas.

The collection includes a shark charm adorned with a keshi pearl and diamonds, as an ode to the gentle nurse sharks that move gracefully through the waters of the Kimberley coastline. The coin and shark charms can be added to the Dive Charm Necklace and Bracelet, which features links influenced by anchor chains and has hidden clasps throughout, allowing the wearer to create their own personalised design.

Modern ropes, bold chains, and fluid tassel designs reflect the equipment found upon a Paspaley diving ship. The Dive Tassel Necklace and Earrings are fluid in motion, featuring lustrous Paspaley pearls complemented by elegant long tassels, which call to mind the frayed and knotted old ropes from retired wooden pearl luggers that lay partly submerged on Town Beach, Broome.

The Entwined Pendant and Entwined Ring feature significant pearls hand-selected by the Paspaley family. Sculptural loops within the design reflect the movement and texture of the ropes that play such a crucial role for Paspaley’s divers on their pearling ships.

Other sets within the new collection feature Paspaley pearls alongside representations of the ropes, thimbles, knots, and chains. With this collection, Paspaley introduces its first ring for men — one that reflects the way anchor chains change in colour, depending on the depths they have reached.

“Pearl divers start their journey with Paspaley seeking adventure in an historic and romantic industry and, for most, the Kimberley is a totally unfamiliar world. However, some of our divers are second, third, and fourth generation pearl divers and this is a testament to the contagious passion that the pearling industry elicits in those predisposed to adventure,” says Paspaley executive director of retail Chris Paspaley.

Paspaley works in partnership with nature, and this is fiercely guarded by the divers who collect each shell by hand.

Paspaley is one of the last remaining companies still collecting wild Pinctada Maxima oysters from the sea floor. This sustainable approach honours the natural environment, causing no wasteful bycatch or damage to the seabed.

In recognition of this long-term sustainable practice, the Australian pearling industry has been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, an independent body that assesses the environmental sustainability of the wild marine industry.

Dive by Paspaley is an exquisitely crafted collection, featuring the world’s finest pearls.

In celebration of the fact that every adventurer has a story, this collection is designed to connect with the adventurous free spirit of the Paspaley woman. Visit paspaley.com