PEARLS TAKE A DIVE

Our Broome correspondent tells us that the price of pearls has plummeted and this is having an impact on jobs. Very few pearling boats are putting out to sea to gather pearlshell for cultured pearl operations . This downturn is said to be hurting the Paspaley empire ,resulting in job losses, some in Darwin. In an ever deepening global economic crisis,pearls, like other luxury items, are seen as an indulgence.