Of the ancient tradition of pearl diving dating back to the great port city of Korkai, the capital of early Pandya kings some 2,200 years ago, hardly 10 brave men survive. “There are only seven ...

Dating back to as early as the sixth century AD ... oyster shells and a pearl-diving weight — presumably used to quickly drag divers to the sea floor, Time Out Dubai reported.

In the early 1900s, Japanese businessman Kokichi ... cultured pearls quickly destroyed Qatar’s pearl-diving industry. The sparsely populated British protectorate was one of the poorest in ...

In the early 1900s, Japanese businessman Kokichi ... cultured pearls quickly destroyed Qatar’s pearl-diving industry. The sparsely populated British protectorate was one of the poorest in ...

A former pearl diver Saad Ismail talks to a client ... But the market collapsed in the early 20th century with the Japanese invention of artificial pearls. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) ...