World of Pearls
In Margot’s hands, Pearls cast off any traditionally conservative and understated antecedents. Large and bold, they are integral to many of her designs, often complements with colourful gemstones as the centrepiece of an arrangement. Their natural shapes, either round or baroque (those with an organic shape that is not perfectly round), are used in designs that enhance their extraordinary size and lustrous qualities.
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When one reflects on the fact that pearls are the only gem emanating from a living organism each one really is a miracle to behold.
Pictured Above: Margot extracting a pearl on the Ellies Pearling boat.
Australia is the birthplace of the finest Pearls in the world and the only place in the world where the mighty silver lipped Maxima Pinctada oyster grows. The Australian pearling industry is very small and is tightly controlled by the Fisheries Department to ensure its sustainability. There are a very limited amount of pearl farms in Australia.
South Sea Pearls are some of the best in the world. Known for the quality of their lustre, complexion, colour, shape and size, they range from 10mm – the size of a garden pea – to a maximum of 25mm.
South Sea Pearl Provenance
In flourishing pristine waters a Pearl is grown, nurtured and then harvested from the most beautiful and remote location in far Northern Australia – it is an astonishing journey that we love to share.
The Gove Peninsula is on the west coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria within Arnhem Land, a vast tract of Aboriginal-owned land on the Northern Territory coastline.
The township of Nhulunbuy is the main commercial and service centre of the Penin- sula and is 600 kilometres east of Darwin.
Left: Still from Beneath the Surface film showing Terry Yumbulul (left) and Aji Ellies (right). Courtesy Ellies Pearling. Photo: Georgia Wells.
Middle: Ellies Pearling boats. Photo: Sam Thies.
Right: An oyster cage with Pinctada maxima shells attached, displayed in Margot’s flagship store.
Beneath the Surface Film Documentary
The film titled Beneath the Surface (2019) is the story of Aji Ellies’ pearl farm now based in Arnhem Land. Traditional Owner Terry Yumbulul stands on the beach, tracing the protrusion of a blister pearl on a Pinctada maxima shell, as he relates the way Aboriginal people grafted pearls onto wild shell generations ago. They pioneered a technique for culturing pearls, adapted by Ellies today.
Explore Margot’s Pearls Collection
The Diamond Bow
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