Before oil reshaped the Gulf, before modern skylines rose over the desert, Bahrain thrived on something quieter, older and far more poetic: pearls. These were not just gems of the sea, they were lifelines, emblems of honor and vessels of stories passed down through generations. 

Today, many of these stories remain unspoken, tucked away in memory and tide. They deserve to be remembered, not just as cultural heritage, but as reflections of courage and unmatched beauty.

A life built on the sea

In the early 20th century, Bahrain was the epicenter of the natural pearl trade, revered from Paris to Bombay for its exceptional pearls. The sea was not just a setting, it was a source of life. 

Diving fleets of wooden dhows would depart Manama’s shores, filled with hopeful young men, divers, rope handlers and singers, each with a role in the symphony of pearl hunting. Their songs still echo faintly in the memories of elders, rhythmic chants that kept time while lungs held breath and eyes searched the seafloor.

Our family remembers these times intimately. In the earliest generation of the Mattar family trade, the patriarch would await the return of his crew from the sea. They would sit together by lantern light, whispering stories of the journey and holding on to hopes of future explorations. To find even one pearl of fine luster was to find a year’s worth of fortune. But to find a Jiwan pearl, round, lustrous and flawless, was to brush against the divine.

Pearls cultural legacy

In these old stories, every pearl had a destiny. Some were sent across continents to adorn royal courts; others were set aside, marked by their unique hue or shape. Our ancestors kept records of who received what, this one was sent to the Maharaja of Baroda, that one purchased by a French jewelry house, another given as a wedding gift to a royal in the Levant. Pearls were more than accessories. They were messages, tokens of diplomacy, symbols of purity and investments of deep cultural value.

The craft rooted in patience

Back then, a pearl merchant did not simply collect pearls. He listened to them. Examined their skin. Compared hue to hue, a palette born not in a factory but deep within an oyster's shell. Our craft today echoes those same disciplines. Matching pearls, especially for necklaces or multi-strand masterpieces, remains a process that can take years. We still approach the trade the way our ancestors did; with patience, reverence and the understanding that nature leads and we follow.

Preserving the tales

At MATTAR, we continue to preserve their essence. From aged logbooks to family journals, we’ve collected photographs of sailors dhows, old invoices with ink-stamped pearl grades and personal letters detailing shipments made to Europe and India. Each artifact is a reminder that what we create today stands on the shoulders of centuries of knowledge and sacrifice.

The future is informed by the past

What does all of this mean for the modern collector? It means that when you wear a natural pearl, especially one sourced from Bahrain, you are not wearing an accessory. You are carrying a fragment of history, shaped by water, patience and the devotion of the pearl merchants. You are participating in a story that began long before you and a story that will outlast all of us.

This is the forgotten treasure of Bahrain: not the pearl itself, but the journey it took to become what it is. A journey of divers and dhows, of waiting and wonder, of families who believed that the sea would always provide not only sustenance but beauty.

At MATTAR, we are not just jewelers. We are stewards of this legacy and as we continue to shape the future of pearl jewelry, we always look back to those silent years when men dove for breathless minutes and returned with stories shimmering in their palms.

Because no matter how the world changes, the sea still holds its secrets and we are still listening, paying respect and attention.