The Abernethy Pearl, one of Scotland’s largest and most renowned freshwater pearls, has set a new auction record, fetching £93,951 at Lyon & Turnbull Cairncross Collection sale in Edinburgh on 21 August.
The pearl, which surpassed its pre-sale estimate of £60,000, was bought by a Scottish bidder and will remain in the country, according to the auction house.
The Abernethy Pearl was discovered in 1967 by William “Bill” Abernethy, a Scottish pearl fisher who passed away in 2021 at the age of 96. Weighing 43.6 grains, it is one of the largest Scottish freshwater pearls in recent history. The pearl, known as “Little Willie,” was estimated to have been growing for over 80 years, placing its formation during the reign of Queen Victoria.
Abernethy, who spent much of his life fishing for pearls across Scottish rivers, never revealed the exact location of his discovery. His ability to assess mussels for pearls without opening them was a skill passed down through generations of his family. He was considered the last of Scotland’s great pearl fishers, as pearl fishing was banned in Scotland in 1998 due to environmental concerns and overfishing.
Ruth Davis, Lyon & Turnbull Head of Jewellery, commented: “We are pleased to be able to say that The Abernethy Pearl has found a good home with its new buyer and will be staying in Scotland.”
The auction featured 173 lots from the Cairncross Collection, all of which sold, resulting in a “white-glove sale”—an industry term for a 100% sold auction. Cairncross of Perth, the only jeweller in Scotland licensed to sell freshwater pearls, had operated for 154 years before closing its doors in 2023.
The Abernethy Pearl was the highest-grossing lot of the auction. The auction highlighted the lasting appeal of Scottish freshwater pearls, despite the end of pearl fishing in the country. Other notable items included a Scottish freshwater pearl necklace, which sold for £17,640, and a pair of diamond stud earrings, which achieved £13,860.
Davis further reflected on the significance of the auction: “Cairncross championing of Scottish pearls made them a world-famous destination. It is wonderful that the world record price for The Abernethy Pearl, and the white-glove result for The Cairncross Collection as a whole, will cement this legacy.”
The sale of the Abernethy Pearl not only marks the end of the Cairncross legacy but also a key moment in Scottish pearl history. Freshwater pearl mussels, once found in Scottish rivers, are now critically endangered due to overfishing and pollution, making pearls like the Abernethy increasingly rare.
With freshwater pearl fishing now illegal, the value of existing Scottish pearls may increase as they become harder to obtain.
