Paspaley is the world’s most important producer of cultured pearls. Their name is synonymous with quality and luxury, and they dominate the pearl market.
The Paspaley pearling adventure began in 1919 when the family fled the Greek Island of Kastellorizo during World War One to come to Australia. The Paspaley family decided to settle in the first own they arrived in Australia; this happened to be Cossack on the coast of Western Australia. Cossack, the Broome coast and Darwin were home to a thriving pearling trade that at its peak was responsible for the production of 75% of the world’s mother-of-pearl production. It was only natural that in this pearling epicentre, Nicholas Paspaley Snr would learn the pearling trade.
Nicholas Paspaley Snr quickly progressed through the pearling trade, and in 1932 at the age of 19, he was the head of his own pearling lugger. In 1935, he founded the Paspaley company, launching with a collection of mother-of-pearl shells for the button trade.
The pearl trade on the coast of the Kimberley trade thrived because it was home to large beds of the world’s most prized pearl oysters – the Pinctada maxima. The pearling industry declined because of overfishing, but the invention of the plastic button decimated it, forcing Paspaley to innovate. They had seen the success that Japanese experts had with the cultured pearl, so they changed their focus from the pearl shell to the pearl. They partnered with Japanese businessman Tokuichi Kuribayashi to develop the most significant South Sea pearl culture farm.
By the 1970s, Nicholas Paspaley Snr had achieved a world first in the pearling industry. He had created cultured South Sea pearls that had the same value as natural South Sea Pearls. Paspaley cultured pearls became known as South Sea Pearls and today are known as Paspaley Pearls.
Nicholas Paspaley Snr died in 1984, and his three children took over the running of the company. Nicholas Paspaley Jnr is the executive chairman and manages the company alongside his sisters Roslynne and Marilynne and their children.
Paspaley currently controls over 80% of the Australian pearl industry. Whilst they are fighting cheap pearl imports, they remain the gold standard for the pearling industry. Since 2017, they have been certified as a sustainable producer by the Marine Stewardship Council.
In 2019, Paspaley launched “Megisti” to commemorate 100 years since Nicholas Paspaley Snr had arrived in Australia. The collection tells the story of the Paspaley family’s journey from Kastellorizo to the Kimberley. Unique rock formations and the intense blue waters that surround them inspired the collection.
Through the decades-long cultivation of the art of cultured pearls, Paspaley has become the world’s best pearl producer. Their focus on quality has ensured their legacy as Australia’s largest and oldest pearling company; their superior quality South Sea Pearls continue to be in high demand by the luxury jewellery industry.