Harvesting pearls was once a risky, adventurous proposition. Prior to the 20th century, pearl diving was the only way to seek out these elusive treasures. Because pearls are so rare in nature – they require a very specific set of circumstances in order to form – pearl necklaces fetched exorbitant prices in the jewelry market. Although lucrative, pearl diving was tremendously dangerous.
Divers faced significant risks on every descent, and they often had nothing but a diving knife to protect themselves. They could be torn apart by hostile sharks or drowned in the towering waves of the Indian Ocean. The troubles didn’t end when they resurfaced, either. Divers often experienced the bends when returning to the surface. Today, most pearls are carefully cultivated on farms. The dangers of pearl diving are a thing of the past, and the thrills inherent to that line of work have faded as well.
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