The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-02-14
s4 Chapter on Pearls.

Pearls are obtained from a bivalve
known as the pearl oyster, found at great
depths in the Indian seas. These oys-
ters are of great size, measuring FROM nine
to ten inches in diameter, and known to
naturalists as the Maleagrina Margaritt-
.tcra The larger pearls are usually found
in the beard of the fish, the smaller in
the flesh. The deeper the water, accord
ing to the experience of the divers, the
larger the pearls. Pearls are composed
of a series of conoentric layers, of thin
gelatinous membrane, alternating with
layers of carbonate of lime, Specific gray
Ivy 1853, and are supposed to be concre-
tons formed by disease peculiar to this
species of oyster.
Besides those known as oriental, there
is class commonly called Scotch pearls,
procured from particu ar variety of mus.
Gle found in Scotch rivers, and in other
rivers of Europe, as the Moldava, in b.
hemia, the Conway, in Wales, etc. The
Tay, near Perth, according to Mr.. Pen
nant, produced at one time great num-
her, the value of which was reckoned at
several hundreds year but the supply
is now very limited, and the pearls them
selves Of little value Somes however, of
a coed size and fine lustre are occasionally
picked up here aud there. Suetonius as
scrts, aud it will be new 10 many, that
Julius Caesar, great admirer of pearls,
was induced to invade Britain in order to
secure the valuable pearls found there
According to Pliny and Tacitus, he
brought back to Rome buckcr covered
with British pearls, which he dedicated to
enus Genetrix, and caused it TO be hung
up in her temple.
Besides the pearls got in the oyster there
are often excrescences upon the moth.
cr of-pearl she'll, somewhat of the ma.
ture of the pearl itself, and which often
assume very irregular and grotpsque
shapes; they are called baroques, and,
wheD large and fine, bring high prices
One of the most singular of the baroques
represents Chinese, with crossed legs,
aud another has the appearance of beard
ed dog this term is also applied to fiat
or iIl-shaped pearl, of considerable size.
When pearl shells are smooth and regular
in shape, there is less chance of finding
pearls inside, but when deformed or dis.
torted, they are almost sure to yield some.
The richly variegated substance so well
known as the mother-of pearl. (French,
ndcre,) "dyed with rainbow tints," and
beautifully opalescent, is the shell Of the
oyster formed by the cacareous exuve of
the fish 1t has "the br ghtness of the
morning, or the glowing tints of the
evening sky )" in other words, the color of
the prism softened, retained, and made
permanent. The finest uacreous shells
are these of Manila, which are very large
aud brilliant, with yellow edges. Those
from Singapore are larger, but of a dead
white.
The decline in the value of pearls in
Europe, which commenced in the seven.
tcenth century, may be partly attributed
to the more attractive brilliancy of the
diamond, after the method of cutting and
polishing it was fully understood, and
partly TO the successful imitation of the
pearl itself close as this resemblance
may be, person accustomed to look at
pearls will easily discover the best imita-
tons by their CLASSY vitreous look, so diff
terent from the orient of the true pearl.
Minerals have the advantage of pearls in
being indestrucsible and unaltered by time,
whereas pearls, in process of time, moul-
der into dust. In opening the tomb in
which the daughters of Stilicho had beer
buried, with the whole of their ornaments,
for lis years, it was found that all the
riches contained in it were in good condi-
ton, which were so soft as to crumbe be.
tween the finger and thumb. Pearls
kept in dry magnesia are said never to
lose their color or lustre if excluded from
air or moisture. The pearl was ia equal
favor with the Romans, Egyptians, He
brews aad other Eastern nations. The
story of large pearl worth 9S0,729, dis
solved, or more likely pounded, aud swal-
lowed by Cleopatra, is too we'll known to
need repetition but it is, perhaps, not as
we'll known that pearls were the principal
in the love philters of those
days, and it is most likely that this pearl
was sacrificed to make charm of great
potency, in order to win back the regards
of Antony. A match to this paragon
pearl, belonging also to Cleopatra, after
ward fell into the hands of Agrippa, the
favorite of Augustus, who carried it to
Rome, and had it halved, to make a pair
OF earrings, which he presented to adorn
the statue of Venus, IN the Pantheon, and
which, for size and beauty, were the ad-