Diving for pearls: from Qatari seabeds to glittering display cases

Thousands of years ago pearls were Qatar's first major export commodity. But the industry suffered badly in the last century when it faced competition from Japanese oyster farms.

Despite this, natural pearls retain their place as a premium product at the top end of the jewellery market. And in the waters off Qatar, hardy divers can still be found going out in search of nature's treasure.

Mohammed Abdulla al-Sada is one of the few divers who’s still seeking his fortune at the bottom of the ocean. For him, it is a family tradition.

"My grandfather, actually, he was a pearl diver," he says. "When I said to my father, I want to go to the sea to catch some fish as a second job and to go to the fish market. He said, 'Why? You are a diver, why don't you get some oysters and look for the pearls?' "

Oysters that contain pearls are a rarity and it takes a sharp eye to find them.

"First of all, you should know whether it's an old oyster or it’s a baby oyster," Mohammed explains. "How can you know? The size plus the thickness of the oyster. And also, there is another thing I'm looking for, a space behind. More space, more age. You know about that oyster, it means it's older than the others."

Though many pearl divers use tanks to stay underwater longer, Mohammed still practices the art of free diving. He’s trained to be able to hold his breath for long periods while he combs the seabed, just like his forebears. It's one of the oldest professions in the Gulf region, and in the past men also used to rely on tying stone weights to one leg and a nose clip as they descended deep to find oysters.

On our trip Mohammed hits a streak of good fortune, finding several pearls. Smaller beads are relatively more common, but to find an oyster with a large