Beginning of 20 century
The end of the 1800s, Japanese reshaped the pearl industry, those people pioneered the mother-of-pearl business along the north coast of Australia where sold more than three quarters of the world's mother-of-pearl.
Huge silver lipped and golden lipped South Sea oysters was discovered by Australian traders and Japanese dealers.
Japan's offshore expansion into mother-of-pearl collection paved the way for its later moves into cultured pearling.
Pearl culturing, a monumental development in the Japanese home islands, created a new relationship among Japan, Australia, and other Pacific countries that changed the pearl business forever.