Ruth Davis
1 August 2024
The largest Scottish river pearl found in living history, the Abernethy Pearl is a remarkably perfect example, found in 1967 by Scotland’s last pearl fisherman, William (Bill) Abernethy.
We were honoured to present this important piece of Scotland's natural and social history at auction on 21 August 2024 as part of The Cairncross Collection. The Pearl led the sale when it achieved £93,951, a new world record price for a Scottish freshwater pearl.
Ruth Davis, Head of Jewellery, Scotland, discusses the famous Abernethy Pearl - its discovery and its legacy.
There has always been an allure which has drawn mankind to natural pearls, be they saltwater or freshwater, and since antiquity, civilisations have valued them for their physical, and often mystical properties. The Ancient Greeks believed they would ensure marital bliss when worn by a bride on her wedding day, while the Romans believed they could provide a long and healthy life.
Our frenzy for these natural treasures reached a true crescendo in the early 20th century, when they became the ultimate signifier of wealth and status. Such was the case in the US when, in 1917, keen to acquire the natural pearl necklace his wife had seen at Cartier, the New York financier Morton Plant exchanged the jewel for his 5th Avenue townhouse. The prestigious central Manhattan location remains Cartier’s flagship American Maison to this day.
In Scotland, the pearl has had an illustrious history, and if natural saltwater pearls are a rarity, the natural Scottish river pearl is something else indeed. It is believed that only one in every five thousand mussels found in Scottish rivers contains a pearl, and generally they are smaller than their saltwater cousins. Today the mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera) in which Scottish pearls grow are dangerously close to extinction and are rightly a protected species.
Historians have postulated that the desire for Scottish pearls was one of Julius Caesar’s incentives for his invasion of Britain in 55BC; he was known as an avid pearl collector. Indeed, the popularity of these rare specimens continued into the Victorian era, fuelled by Queen Victoria’s passion for all things Scottish. The largest Scottish river pearl ever found, the famous Kellie Pearl, is set on the Crown of Scotland which dates to the 1540s. It remains housed and on view to visitors at Edinburgh Castle today.
William (Bill) Abernethy, famously known as Scotland’s last pearl fisherman, seems to have understood the danger of the demand for these rare specimens intuitively. In 1967 he found the now famous Abernethy Pearl, second only in fame to the aforementioned Kellie Pearl, and though he never disclosed where exactly he found it (likely to discourage fortune hunters trying their own luck), it was purportedly wrapped in a dock leaf to keep it from scratching, before he took it to jewellers Cairncross of Perth, where it remained until recently.
As the largest Scottish river pearl found in living history, weighing 43.6 grains, the Abernethy Pearl is a remarkably perfect example. Bill had been trained how to fish for pearls by his father, and had a rare understanding of the mussels and the rivers in which they could be found. During the 1970s, wildlife cameraman Doug Allen worked with Bill as a pearl diver, and in Bill’s 2021 obituary he noted how he was able to discern from the size and shape of the mussel as to the likelihood of it containing a pearl; enabling him to pick carefully and leave undisturbed many of the other mussels, better maintaining their numbers and health.
It is believed the Abernethy Pearl (affectionately known as ‘Little Willie) could have been quietly growing in its mussel for over 80 years before it had been found by Bill. It is interesting to think that 80 years prior to Bill plucking it from the water, was the Golden Jubilee year of 1887, evoking images of Queen Victoria tramping the heather with her pony Fyvie and servant John Brown while the pearl was quietly growing.
Today the Abernethy Pearl represents a unique part of Scotland’s natural and social history, but is also a symbol of the challenges ahead in terms of protecting its natural landscape and environmental heritage. There will not be another specimen of its like in our lifetime, and while its unique quality and rarity form a large part of its value; those qualities should also stand as a clarion call to protect and nurture the species and our natural heritage.
Bill Abernethy, an individual with invaluable knowledge and passion, passed away in 2021, and Cairncross of Perth, the jewellers who championed Scottish river pearls closed its doors for the final time in the summer of 2023.
We were pleased to offer the Abernethy Pearl as part of our auction of The Cairncross Collection on Wednesday 21 August 2024.
