Pearl divers hold their breath for long periods of time. The women were the one's that really did pearl diving back then. Ancient Rome pearls were symbols of wealth and social standing. Women has a lot more capacity and also pick more pearls in one dive. The size of South Sea pearls range from 10 to 20 millimeters, but pearls larger than 16 millimeters are rare. The land was too barren to allow any farming and the people were generally too concerned with finding water, food and other provisions to consider trying to make money.
There is evidence of a single pearl being sold for fifteen thousand pounds during the 1920s equivalent to more than three hundred and fifty thousand pounds.