Francesca Cartier Brickell visiting Bahrain and Jewelry Arabia

Francesca Cartier Brickell shares her personal journey visiting Bahrain, retracing the steps of her great-grandfather Jack Cartier, who traveled to the Gulf in 1912 to investigate the pearl trade. At a time when pearls were the world's most valuable gemstones—worth four times more than diamonds following the discovery of South African diamond mines—Jack and his brothers were determined to build Cartier into a leading global jewelry firm by sourcing the finest pearls available. Cartier's business was heavily dependent on pearl jewelry, with at least 60 percent of the company's income derived from pearls, making Jack's trip to understand the region, its people, and the trade itself a crucial foundation for the firm's international success.