Largest Scottish freshwater pearl in living memory to be sold at auction

Scotland’s largest freshwater pearl, the largest in living memory, is going under the hammer – and could fetch £60,000. 

Discovered in 1967, the Abernethy Pearl, was named after its finder, Bill Abernethy, who was famously known as Scotland’s last pearl fisherman. 

Weighing 43.6 grains, the size and quality of the Abernethy Pearl is remarkable. But Bill, who died in 2021 aged 96, never disclosed exactly where in Scotland he made the rare find. 

It’s thought that only one in every 5,000 mussels found in Scottish rivers contains a pearl, and generally they are smaller than their saltwater cousins. 

Pearl fishing was banned in Scotland completely in 1998.

Lyon & Turnbull’s Head of Jewellery, Ruth Davis with The Abernethy Pearl. Credit: Stewart Attwood.

It is believed the Abernethy Pearl, affectionately known as Little Willie, could have been quietly growing in its mussel for over 80 years before Bill found it, meaning it was created during the reign of Queen Victoria.  

During the 1970s, award-winning wildlife cameraman Doug Allan worked with Bill as a pearl diver. 

In an obituary published following Bill’s death in 2021, Doug noted how Bill was able to discern from the size and shape of the mussel if it contained a pearl. 

‘Bill was a unique man and it was a privilege to have known him,’ he said. 

‘I recall watching Bill fishing with his glass and stick and then he gave me a go. It didn’t take long to appreciate just how much hard graft it was.

The Abernethy Pearl. Credit: Alex Robson

‘Bill, of course, made it look effortless. Which it wasn’t. He’d be there, bent over the glass, peering down at the river bed, picking out the small lips of the shells that were buried in the sand.

‘I loved learning something of the old craft from Bill. The old words that only the real pearl fishers would use. 

‘We’d walk sometimes for miles over the fields until we reached the “the spot”. He’d point out the specific part of the river that he knew would be best for pearls.’

Trained to fish for pearls by his father, Robert, Bill had a rare understanding of the mussels and the rivers in which they could be found. 

It is believed Bill wrapped the famous pearl in a dock leaf to keep it from scratching before he took it to renowned Scottish jewellers, Cairncross of Perth, which closed in 2023.

The Abernethy Pearl. Credit: Alex Robson

The firm championed Scottish pearls as a scarce natural wonder and became particularly famous for its pearl jewellery as a result.

Such was their reputation for Scottish river pearls, local pearl fishers offered them first choice of their finds, safe in the knowledge that they would offer a fair price and use the pearls well, preserving the legacy of the rivers and the dying art of the river-pearl fisherman in their designs.

The pearl, estimated to fetch between £40,000 and £60,000, is part of The Cairncross Collection auction on 21 August. 

‘The Cairncross Collection offers a final opportunity to obtain a piece of Perthshire history,’ said Ruth Davis, Head of Jewellery at Lyon & Turnbull.

‘As well as antique jewellery, including a beautiful pair of diamond stud earrings, weighing over 4.00cts, the collection also includes more contemporary pieces, from high-end designers such as Picchiotti and enamelled jewels by Victor Mayer, as well as a selection of Scottish river pearls.

‘The Abernethy Pearl is, of course, the star of the sale and we’re excited to see the interest the auction will undoubtedly generate.’

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