The Japanese and Europeans have their own club and doctor. In the 1930s, pearling crews are entirely Asiatic. The Japanese have the best divers and crew. Mother of pearl shell provides the main income but it is the pearls themselves which are highly sought after. Pearl shell is used extensively as inlay, for buckles and buttons.
Pearls have no practical value aside from use in fine jewellery.
These days pearls must be found rather than grown. One in 1000 pearl shells produces a pearl and only 1 pearl in a few hundred is valuable. Diving for pearls is dangerous. Divers can die from compression sickness looking for these shells - a condition caused from ascending too quickly from great depths. However in this period they are finding ways to prevent this.