Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 17 590 551;
www.bahartsociety.org.bh
; Budaiya Hwy)
Just one of the many centres promoting loc-
al art and artists.
Crafts Centre Gallery and Workshop
CRAFT
( 17 254 688; 263 Sheikh Isa al-Khebir Ave; 8am-2pm Sun-Thu)
Home to a variety of studios and
workshops, promoting the contemporary revival of traditional crafts, such as weaving,
palm-leaf papermaking, pottery and ironwork. All the work is for sale.
Gold City
JEWELLERY
(Government Ave)
Bahrain is the only country in the world to sell almost exclusively natural
pearls. While the odd imported, artificial pearl creeps in, shop owners are very quick to
tell you which ones are and which ones are not genuine, natural Bahraini pearls; when it
comes to Bahrain's most famous heritage item, it is more than their license is worth to
mislead the customer.
DON'T MISS
PEARLS
A highlight of shopping in Bahrain is looking for pearls. Pearls are created when grit enters the shell of, most usu-
ally, an oyster. The intrusive irritant is covered with a layer of mother-of-pearl, making it smooth and less irk-
some, and the longer the problem is nursed, the bigger it gets. Large pearls have attracted large sums of money
throughout history but while size counts, it's not everything. Other factors taken into consideration are the depth
and quality of lustre, perfection of shape and the colour, which ranges from peach to iron.
Commercial pearling was halted with the pioneering (in Japan) of the cultured pearl in the 1930s. Created
through the artificial injection of a bead into the shell of an oyster, cultured pearls are more uniform and created
more quickly. Nonetheless, at the heart of the gem is a piece of plastic.
In Bahrain, on the other hand, natural pearls are still garnered from the island's healthy oyster beds in a revival
of this heritage industry. Occasionally, the sea bed renders up the larger, uniquely coloured pearls that once made
the area so famous, but more usually, Bahraini pearl jewellery features clusters of tiny, individually threaded,
ivory-coloured pearls, set in 21 carat gold.
Visit the gold shops of central Manama to see how pearls continue to inspire local jewellers. A perfect pearl
can fetch thousands of dollars but a pair of cluster earrings or a ring can start at a reasonable US$100. Prices for
pearl jewellery are more or less fixed but there's no harm in asking for a discount for oyster shells (US$60 includ-
ing growing pearl - or free for those willing to dive for their own).
Information
EMERGENCY
