Nueva Cádiz de Cubagua and the Pearl Fisheries of the Caribbean

The island of Cubagua, known since the end of the 15th century as the “Island of Pearls,” is a small semi-arid island located in the southeastern Caribbean. Pre-colonially, the island formed part of an extensive network of communication and trade that crisscrossed the southeastern Caribbean and the adjacent coasts. In 1528, a settlement on the island of Cubagua was granted a charter to establish the city of Nueva Cádiz. This city played a central role in the exploitation of and trade in pearls during the the 16th century. During the early modern period, the pearls from this area circulated widely throughout the Atlantic world and inspiredabundant depictions that helped construct notions of the “New World” and brought competitions that forged new relationships between the Hispanic monarchy and American Indigenous populations. After 1540, the city was gradually abandoned. Since, the island has remained uninhabited and relatively unknown academically. However, the history of Nueva Cádiz has played an important role in debates over heritage protection, in museum narratives, and, ultimately, in the identity of the region.

2+ Hundred Cubagua Royalty-Free Images, Stock Photos & Pictures

Isla de Cubagua, Place to visit

History of the Atlantic pearl-oyster, Pinctata imbricata, industry in Venezuela and Colombia, with biological and ecological observations - Document - Gale Academic OneFile

Blister pearls attached to the shells of pearl oysters.

Rancherías: Historical Archaeology of Early Colonial Campsites on Margarita and Coche Islands, Venezuela in: Material Encounters and Indigenous Transformations in the Early Colonial Americas

Nueva Cádiz and the Pearls of Venezuela

Fishing boat approaches shack on Cubagua Island, Venezuela Stock Photo - Alamy

Jenny Balogh - Archaeologist - ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL CONSERVANCY, INC.

History of the Atlantic pearl-oyster, Pinctata imbricata, industry in Venezuela and Colombia, with biological and ecological observations - Document - Gale Academic OneFile

Isla de Cubagua, Place to visit

Nueva Cádiz de Cubagua and the Pearl Fisheries of the Caribbean

Nueva Esparta: Margarita, Cubagua & Coche Islands

— Shaded area to right of Cubagua Island is the location of Las

Shipwrecks and Treasure Along Venezuela's Caribbean Coast. (Donald A. Goddard), PDF, Shipwrecks

Saltwater Pearls from the Pre- to Early Columbian Era: A Gemological and Radiocarbon Dating Study