Columbus, Spain, the "new World" and Pearls, not too many people are aware that there was a connection between Columbus and pearls at all. Actually there was quite a connection. The connection was so strong that it completely overshadowed the pearl production of the Indian Ocean. This was the first time that the dominance of the pearl production of India and Ceyon had been eclipsed.

The second time was when the perliculture of the Japanese took over and made for the end of commercial pearl diving. This is another story, however.

With Columbus voyages, pearls began to flood the markets of Europe. These pearls came from the pearl beds of the  Caribbean and Panama. These pearls arrived by the bushel. Royalty and nobles wore them completely covering their clothing, to the extent that historians called this time the "Great Age of Pearls".

This extravaganza only lasted fo a little over one hundred years, and then the pearl bearing beds of the new world were destroyed and the local oyster close to extinction. The one time river of pearls slowed to a trickle and the pearl producers of the Indian Ocean quikly reestablished their dominance. Until the Japanese began  full scale culturing of pearls.