|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 27 October 2002 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
The legend still glows... The Wimalaratnas trace the historical links made between Sri Lanka and Australia through the pearling industry by Vimukthi Fernando
The Wimalaratnas are into pearling... "continuing the family tradition", explain the mother and son duo, Edith and Shanti, who were in Sri Lanka recently. The family history in South Sea pearling goes back over a century. It had been Edith's grandfather T. B. Ellies who made the greatest link between Ceylon and Australia in his era, creating history. "The magic was in his hands", they say excitedly. No one would have thought those dark hands, short, stubby with creased skin and rough tips would become the most sought after pair of hands in the world of jewels. The Sinhalese youth from Bope, Matara when he came to Australia to seek his fortune, would never have thought he would become the 'richest man in Broome.' It was his magic fingers that did the trick. They contained the skill and delicacy to 'peel a pearl just like an onion' in bringing out its true beauty. His determination and self confidence were added benefits. 'While a man has two hands, he should never go bankrupt' had been the motto he lived by. Tudugala Badallage Ellies, or Thomas Bastian Ellies as he fashioned his name in Australian style, made himself known not only in Broome, Western Australia, but throughout the world in the hay days of the pearling industry.
Ellies, born on July 15, 1868 had landed in Australia, on board SS Australiana, in July 1887. He had settled down in Broome, one time pearl harbour of Western Australia in 1896 and is now a legend in the South Sea pearling industry. It was his skill in polishing pearls that had brought him fame. Many pearl buyers from all over the world had come to Broome, seeking his services. Many famous pearls have passed through his hands. Amongst them is the Southern Cross a cluster of pearls in the shape of a cross, presented to the Pope and now exhibited in Vatican. Before it was presented to the Pope, in the year 1924 at an exhibition in London, the Southern Cross was valued over 20,000 sterling pounds. The Star of the West found in 1916 was another famous pearl, sold for 7,000 sterling pounds at that time.
By the time of his death in 1937, he came to be known as the "the great pearl surgeon," "the world's renowned pearl doctor," "the man who knew more about pearls than anyone else in the world" and "the world's greatest pearl cleaner." His were the hands in which pearls worth thousands of sterling pounds passed through each year. Though the legend is no more, the pearling business continues, adapting
to the changes of the millennium. And now, his granddaughter Edith and the
great grandson Shanti are at the fore. They excel in the business of
bringing together the precious and sought after - the metals gold, silver,
platinum... and the gem stones, including the queen of them all - pearls.
Universal Gems, of Sydney, Australia has become a well-known name
down-under, for South Seas pearls and opals.
How do they keep on to the pearling traditions in a changing world? "Unlike the old days, where one had to catch and clean more than 15,000 oysters for just one pearl, now it is pearl farming," says Shanti Wimalaratne. Though pearl farming increases the chances of obtaining pearls from the oysters, "the process is the same, and it is natural. The only difference is that the farmers have learned the art of 'inducing' the oyster to secrete nacre - that beautiful gleaming solution which covers all irritants and produces the precious pearl, says Shanti. And the oyster Pincada maxima found in the South Seas, unlike those freshwater mussels who produce in plenty - "produce only one pearl at a time" making them the most precious and the sought after.
Pearl farming also cannot be done at every sea. The conditions such as temperature, nutrients etc. need to be maintained precisely for a healthy harvest of pearls. A pearl farm is usually made of oyster pouches hanging from hundreds and thousands meters of net. Graded and numbered, according to their 'productivity' and age, the oysters are put in these pouches. Farmers licenced to fish oysters, collect small oysters from the sea bed and feed them for two years, until they mature enough to undergo the bead inserting operation. A bead of about six milli meters made of Mississippi muscle shell is inserted into the soft tissue at the heart of the oyster during this delicate operation. It takes another two years for the first pearl, of about 8 - 10 mm.to grow. After two years the oysters are opened, and the first batch of pearls harvested. A bead of corresponding size is inserted in place of the pearl harvested. This bead, harvested after another two years, grows into a size of about 12-14 mm. This process takes place once more, to get pearls of over 15 mm. Even at a farm, it is very difficult to obtain a pearl of over 15 mm because the quality of the nacre deteriorates over time. At a farm an oyster may live to about 8 - 10 years while undisturbed living in their own niches they live to a 'ripe old age' of about 25 to 30 years. While the oyster shell, or mother of pearl is used to make buttons and different kinds of ornaments, the flesh becomes part of the food chain of humans as well as animals. Now, with the dawn of peace, and opening of previous pearling sites, "why can't Sri Lanka also establish pearl farms?" However, according to Shanti's experience and expertise, "It would hardly be a viable venture". Though Sri Lanka was the land of pearls, we have to face the sad reality of the modern times. "The pearl bearing oyster of Sri Lanka, Akoya oyster, is already grown in the pearl farms of China. Therefore, the competition is very high in this regard. Further, investors are deterred by the initial cost and the time consumed to get any result. It takes four years for the first pearl harvest and 10 years, to get a marketable collection of pearls of different sizes." she says. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
