But beneath the luster lurks a mysterious disease that has been killing off oysters in Japan's main pearl farms for the past few years.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia

Since that area provides 70% of Japan's mother-oysters, which are raised to accept the pearl seeds, the mystery disease rapidly spread to other pearl-cultivating sites.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia

Pearl divers once braved shark and jellyfish in hopes of surfacing with oysters.

BBC: Along Arabia��s east coast

"In the case of red tide, we can move our oysters to a safe place, " says Nobutaka Yamagiwa, a pearl grower on Ago Bay.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia