A Perfect Pearl Celebrating 35 Years

Time flies -- of this there is no doubt.

It has been 35 years since Hubby D and I said, “I do.”

 It seems not so long ago but only a short time ago. And yet so much has happened.

Today we will be celebrating this monumental anniversary in Vero Beach, Florida. And, I am SURE it will be a wonderful day. Only 4 days ago we were in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

This photo was taken on a scuba diving trip to Belize celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary.

Two and half years ago when we were planning our move to Bahrain, I researched the Kingdom and discovered they were famous for natural pearls. I set a goal of acquiring a Bahraini pearl. However, what I did not know then was how rare and expensive they were.

Most Bahraini pearls are quite small.

After I arrived in Bahrain, I hesitated to buy one for myself as it was a significant investment. Luckily Hubby D felt it would make the perfect gift for our 35th Wedding Anniversary. I was thrilled.

A little over a week ago, before we departed Bahrain to move back to the United States, we ventured into the Gold Souq in Manama to find the perfect pearl.



Historically, the world's best pearls came from the Persian Gulf, especially around Bahrain. The pearls of the Persian Gulf were naturally created and collected by breath-hold divers.

Pearl divers off a traditional dhow boat.

Bahrain has been known for its vast stores of lustrous pearls since at least 2000 B.C. Cheaper Japanese cultured pearls effectively shut down the pearl industry in Bahrain in the 1930's. Before this Bahrain supplied 80 percent of the world's pearl market.

After oil was discovered, the water pollution resulting from spilled oil and indiscriminate over-fishing of oysters essentially ruined the once pristine pearl producing waters of the Gulf.

Today, pearl diving is practiced only as a hobby. Still, Bahrain remains one of the foremost trading centers for high quality pearls. In fact, cultured pearls are banned from the Bahrain pearl market, in an effort to preserve the location's heritage.

This is a link to a nice tourism article that appeared in the Wall Street Journal about snorkeling for Bahrain pearls.

Hubby D and I took a scuba diving trip in June of 2015 to dive in the pearl beds. It was a shallow dive, but very interesting.  Here is a link to the blog I wrote about the pearl dive.

The allure of the pearl has captivated the many queens -- Queen of Sheba, Elizabeth I and Catherine the Great, all of whom are said to have worn Bahraini pearls.

Recently Queen Elizabeth wore her Bahraini pearl earrings to a festival.

These are the Royal Bahraini pearl earrings.

The fabulous luster of the Bahraini pearl is to do with the combination of the sea's freshwater springs that give the island kingdom its name -- Bahrain means "two seas" in Arabic -- and its warm, shallow, highly saline water. Whatever rare combination creates these lustrous objects, then as now Bahraini pearls are widely believed to be the best in the world.



My pearl is quite beautiful. I will wear it with fondness for not only my Bahrain memories but also for the longevity of my partnership with Hubby D. We have a great marriage and enjoy life together with terrific gusto.

Each Bahraini pearl comes with a certificate of authenticity required by the Bahraini government.

A note that has been on my refrigerator door for many years says, “Life is short. Dance when you can.” We do!

This is one of my favorite sunset photos. It was taken in 2004.

In March of this year when Nancy Reagan passed away, there were many tributes to her marriage to President Ronald Reagan.  I can only hope that sometime in the future (NOT the near future) our family will say the same thing about our partnership.

“They were both strong people in their own right but they were first and foremost each other’s best friend.  They were each other’s strongest advocate and biggest supporter. She had complete adoration for him and lived to protect him.”

“Theirs was a true love story with each adoring the other.”

I adore Hubby D and I feel he adores me.

I hope we have 35 more years of wonderful life together!

Cheers,
Brenda

At sunset on the Arabian sea this past year.