A LegacyPearling

As a pearling pioneer, explorer and marine biologist, Allure South Sea Pearls co-founder William (Bill) Reed AM has dived pristine coastal waters and travelled to some of the world’s most remote locations in the pursuit of the perfect pearls.

After studying zoology and fisheries biology at university, young Bill sought a position that would allow him to pursue his passion for the sea. He would spend the next 20 years traversing the world and exploring the diverse seas of Papua New Guinea, Sudan, Nigeria and Tahiti.

In 1975 after selling his pearl farm and leaving the tropical shores of Tahiti, Bill returned to Australia and settled in beautiful Broome to work as a consultant for one of Australia’s first cultured pearl farms at Kuri

Bay, 370km North of Broome.

This new journey in Broome would see him build his reputation as one of the world’s most knowledgeable and successful pearl dealers, earning him the prestigious Order of Australia medal for his contributions to the pearling industry.

Having amassed a wealth of knowledge and experience, Bill acquired a pearl farm situated in the pristine and unpolluted waters off the Kimberley coast. The conditions were ideal for the precious Pinctada maxima oyster to thrive and produce an abundance of large, lustrous pearls.

According to Bill, the success of Australian South Sea Pearls on the global market saw them recognised as ‘the finest and most prestigious pearls in the world’. As the desire and demand for these precious gems grew, it was almost impossible to buy a local pearl in Broome.

In a twist of fate and a ‘very profitable accident’ as Bill recounts today, a broken leg saw him reshape the pearling industry in the historic town. Unable to work and travel to his pearl farm, wheel-chair bound Bill set-up shop in a rudimentary tin shed on Dampier Terrace. With no flooring, and a few cabinets directly positioned on the towns iconic red dirt, Bill had become an accidental shopkeeper and the first person to officially sell pearls in Broome. He offered genuine Australian South Sea Pearls to locals and tourists, and nothing short of a surprise, the new business venture was an immediate success.

This lucky “break” generated substantial regular income and cash flow that had previously only been a yearly payday after the harvest was sold. However, clients began to ask for pearl jewellery and this luxury work with these striking treasures again. Demand continued to increase for their exquisite pearl jewellery and it seemed like the natural progression for Bill and Lindsay to recruit talented goldsmiths to establish an in-house workshop in their newly renovated showroom on Dampier Terrace. Far from its humble beginnings, Allure is proud to welcome visitors to Broome’s largest jewellery showroom in the heart of bustling Chinatown. Whilst some aspects within the pearling industry and the business have changed, others have remained the same.

After 30 years, their exquisite couture collection is still handcrafted by Allure’s team of master jewellers in the workshop above their Dampier Terrace showroom.

Intricately crafted with 18-carat gold and only the finest quality South Sea pearls and diamonds, Allure’s designs continue to celebrate and pay homage to their hometown of Broome, their link to nature and the beautiful environment that surrounds them. Every Allure jewellery piece brings out the singular beauty of each pearl, celebrating nature’s most magnificent treasures.

Discover Allure’s exquisite range of South Sea pearl and diamond jewellery in their Broome showrooms at 25 Dampier Terrace, Chinatown, and Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa, and also in their Perth showroom at 316 Rokeby Road, Subiaco.

Visit visitbroome.com.au/members/ alluresouth-sea-pearls was not yet on offer in Broome. Always the entrepreneur, Bill set out to find a talented jeweller to craft a selection of jewellery that would beautifully showcase his stunning pearls. By the late 1980’s the pearl store had flourished and Bill invited young Perth jeweller Lindsay Youd to join him in Broome to manage the growing business.

A second-generation jeweller, Lindsay had been captivated by the romance and lustre of South Sea pearls in his father’s jewellery workshop and revelled at the opportunity to