Perth Museum bosses say they have yet to decide whether to make a bid for the famous Abernethy Pearl when it comes up for auction next week.
The Scottish freshwater pearl – also known as “Little Willie” – will be the star attraction when the Cairncross Collection goes under the hammer in Edinburgh.
Auctioneers Lyon & Turnbull are selling off stock from the renowned Perth jewellery shop, which closed its doors in 2023.
And the Abernethy Pearl, discovered almost 60 years ago at a secret location on the Tay by local fisherman Bill Abernethy, is expected to fetch up to £60,000.
Culture Perth and Kinross, which runs the new Perth Museum, already has its own Cairncross collection.
And the ground floor of the £27 million attraction includes a Cairncross gallery.
But no decision has been made on whether to bring the Abernethy Pearl back to the city.
A spokesperson said: “We are aware of the sale in question, and a final decision has not yet been made about fundraising to support any bid.”
Cairncross and its Abernethy Pearl were part of Perth’s story
Bill Abernethy was the last pearl fisherman in Scotland before the practice was banned in 1998.
He died in 2021 aged 96.
His Abernethy Pearl weighs 43.6 grains, and is said to be remarkable in both its size and quality.
In the early 1990s, it was at the centre of an ownership dispute between Bill and Cairncross, where it had been stored since the 1960s.
A court found in Bill’s favour. And the jeweller agreed to buy the pearl for an undisclosed sum.
The legendary business was established in 1869 by brothers Alexander and George Cairncross.
It became a fixture of the city’s St John Street, passing through several generations of the family during its 154 year history.
Alistair Cairncross and his brother Jimmy were the last generation of the family to own the shop.
It was taken over by Scottish businesswoman, Flora Rennie, in the late 1980s.
And it closed its doors for the final time in July 2023 when she was unable to find a buyer.
Perth Museum has ‘outstanding’ range of Tay pearls
Dr Norman Watson has written The Courier’s ‘collecting’ column since 1991.
He says Cairncross was synonymous with freshwater pearls.
And he recalls “quite a stir” in Perth when Bill Abernethy made his great discovery.
“Customers of Cairncross will remember ‘ooh-ing’ and ‘ahh-ing’ when it was put on show in a very secure display case in the family’s St John Street shop,” he added.
Dr Watson says bidding is likely to be intense at the Lyon and Turnbull sale next Wednesday.
“The auction world is still agog when large fresh-water examples come to market, with prices of many thousands for the best stringed examples,” he added.
But even if Perth Museum does not acquire the Abernethy Pearl, there is still much in the city’s collection for visitors to enjoy.
“It is not the largest Scottish pearl,” he said.
“And, of course, thanks largely to the efforts of Mrs Mary Cairncross, the museum already has an outstanding range of Tay pearl jewellery made by her family and others over several decades.”
The Alastair D Cairncross Collection of Scottish Freshwater Jewellery was donated to Culture Perth and Kinross last year.
It includes an array of jewellery, along with associated archives, design work, and personal items.
The star attraction is a pink pearl necklace comprising 87 graduated pearls, meticulously assembled by Alastair Cairncross over two decades.
It is on display in Perth Museum.
The Cairncross Collection auction will take place on Wednesday August 21.
The collection can be viewed at the Lyon & Turnbull sale room from Saturday.
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