The Abernethy Pearl, one of the largest ever found in Scotland, is donated to the National Collection

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Named after its finder, pearl fisherman William Abernethy, it was discovered inside a mussel near the River Tay in Perthshire in 1967. It would have taken around 80 years to reach its remarkable size, and is the largest pearl discovered in Scotland since the rarely seen Kellie Pearl, found in 1621. 

Dr Rachel Walcott, Principal Curator of Earth Systems at National Museums Scotland said: 

“The Abernethy Pearl is a rare and special specimen and I’m delighted that it’s been donated to the National Collection. It’s a thing of beauty, but it also highlights the impact of the biodiversity crisis. Pearl fishing was once a very important export industry but the populations of mussels in Scotland have been decimated. We simply wouldn’t have 80 years of undisturbed water in Scotland today for a pearl of this size to be created. It’s one of a kind.” 

Pearls are created when an irritant such as a parasite or a grain of sand gets inside a mussel or oyster. Thin layers of aragonite – a form of the mineral calcium carbonite – and an organic substance called conchiolin are built up around the irritant, which eventually creates the pearl.  

The freshwater mussels that produce Scottish pearls need a specific set of conditions to thrive and complete the different stages of their long lifecycle. Changes to habitats, such as water pollution, can have a devastating effect on their populations and overfishing has also decimated their numbers. The threatened status of mussels means that pearl fishing – once a major industry in Scotland – is now illegal. 

The Abernethy Pearl was donated by retired Edinburgh jeweller and National Museums Scotland volunteer Alistir Wood Tait, who spent a 40-year career working with Scottish gems and river pearls. It joins around 100 other Scottish pearls in the National Collection, which are a resource for researchers and could provide information to help future conservation efforts to support mussel populations in Scotland. 

Donor, Alistir Wood Tait said:

"I spent a 40-year career as a jeweller working with Scottish gemstones and minerals and the Abernethy Pearl is the finest I’ve ever seen. Unlike so many freshwater pearls, it’s perfectly spherical, and when the light hits it, it has a wonderful pinkish iridescence. I’m delighted that it will remain in Scotland and is on permanent display in the National Museum, where as many people as possible will have the chance to see it."