The Portland daily press., 1871-12-11
PRESS
MONDAY MORNING, DEC. II, 1871.
Something About Pei.

Ano A'i''i' 'oi4ue''S Vi Fompey first turn
ed the taste ofthe Romans in the direct;on -
pearls and precious stones. In his triunrh :,
procession were borne thirty-three crowns
made of pearls, temple of the Muses. with a
dial on the top, and figure of the victor him.
self, wrought from the same gems. Pliny de-
nounced these exhibitions of extravaganza in
very pointed terms.
1t appears that, on their first introduction
to Rome, pearls had been employed as mate
rials for art. Not that the Romans engraved
in relief or ntaglio upon so small and precious
a body; but the figures of various things were
formed of small pearls strung ON wire or white
horse-hair, and thus fastened upon model
in kind of mosaic, very much as the Lamb
of the Golden Fleece, or the brooches of seed
pearl, have been constructed.
Pliny mentions that he had seen Lolita
Paulina, the widow of Caligula, ,covered-head,
neck, ears, and fingers-with strings of pearls
and emeralds placed alternately, to the value
OF four hundred thousand pounds of English
money; plunder collected by her grandfather
Lollius from all the princes of the East. AS
he says she thus appeared on no very grand
occasion but merely at private dinner-party
we may conclude that this display embraced
but small portion OF her jewelry.
The largest pearl known to the Romans
weighed half an ounce and one scruple over
This magnitude has seldom been equaled in
modern times. Barbot mentions q pearl be-
longing to the crown of France in 1901,
weighing one hundred and eighty grains.-
Philip ii possessed one as large as pigeon s
egg, of one hundred and thirty-four grains
weight, and worth fifty thousand ducats.-
This came from the Panama fishery, and was
entitled La Peregrina; it was pear-shaped,
the form generally attained by this species.
A very large pearl was brought from India in
1850, by Gougibus de Calais, and sold to Phil
ip "; it weighed four hundred and eighty
grains. The merchant, when asked by the
king how he could venture to risk his fortune
in one little article, replied, because he knew
there was king of Spain to buy it of him.
This pearl, says Barbot, afterward became the
property of the Russian Princess Yousop-
poff
The largest pearl on record is probably one
bought by that most romantic of travellers
and dealers in precious gems, Tavernier, al
Catifa, in Arabia, where pearl fishery ex.
listed in the days of Pliny. 1t is said to have
been pear-shaped, perfect in all respects, and
nearly three inches long. Tavernier obtained
from the Shah of Persia, for this gem, one
hundred and eleven thousand pounds.
Mr.. Hopes pearl, which is regarded as the
finest now known, is two inches long and
four inches round 1t weighs one thousand.
eight hundred grains, and, like all such varie-
ties, is of such enormous, uncertain value,
that few purchasers are ready topay its COM
puted worth.
The most beautiful collection of pearls be-
longs, it is said, to the Dowager Empress OF
Russia. Her husband was exceedingly fond
of her, and as he shared with her fancy for
gems OF this kind, he sought for them all over
the world. They had to fulfill two conditions
rarely to be met with-they must be perfect
spheres, and they must be virgin pearls, for
he would buy none that had been already
worn. After twenty-five years. search, he at
last succeeded in presenting his Empress with
necklace such as the world had never before
seen.
The pearl is frequently mentioned in Scrip
ture as symbol Of the highest degree of per-
fection. In the Old Testament wisdom is
praised above all pearls; and in the New the
kingdom of heaven is compared to pearl of
great price, which, when a merchant had
found it, he went and sold all that he had and
bought it.
Pearls, unlike most precious gems, are sus-
ceptible OF a decomposition of the membranes
of which they are formed in part. Every now
anu tnen we near OF noDle Iamly Wnlcn
prlded ltseif on the possession of magnlncent
ancestral pearls, panic-stricken at finding
some of its choicest pearls turning a sickly
color, and crumbling to dust. 1t is but few
years since the crown-jeweler of France sol
emnly applied to the Academy of Sciences fol
remedy TO meet me contingency presented
IN tne frequent " Oh pears, wnlcn - N
iouhu W De aiecteu contact Win ar. In
Aeaueiny couiu aloro Satisfactory auvlce
except 10 guaru tne gems rom tne nluenc'
o. o. ,sns anu anu ar. iue crown VI france mas II
;a,o,s ,o 10y io's SUING u i'S Auo'' niShy prizee
JoToio ,;..,o ,,;.o - -,.,. 81. :
AZ no.;e "hes iuo, VIII sns oulniceS, ~ ~
the L iuleries' snort time before the ial OF
tho .ho 'ao e,dI' Lmpe' IN .ne counc. cnaihper IT "
I ,ila! celeora.eu cohc,aVe, consisting Oh -hei
pnaJesy, maI"ue a1 nS. ue MUlny, MauaIne ue
reisisny, 'e.:s anu Mauaine D1ouyh ue Lnuys
1 mli1n uiclateu W tne worio ,he lortncomlns
s'oueo, q. teniarhaple rIf step was taken. lht
t n". W ~ene sna: an VINO were 70 De pres
;a,is Gu. a. a ve, % Jo''e9 must ABANDON all otne
t% ,pet pas as wnen ene evening
haheld in bar ,a;ns3,,,s puI ,,noG no
tha 1rraa,ast a,,,aya,',y,'tP - .in :N
Sa,rs for IL ,ras nanera,,', un .pat tr
oo..;,,rS ~ ~ Ne ny. .naS 'ne
earrings, CONSISTING 9I TWO pear-shapea pears
worn -, py neery IL anu Iniinortalle9 py
tne picture Vi that moharcn Dy forDlos,
"heioi, .ueoo pearls iofh al especial ieatule
wound nave peen worn py tne empress
HenIy IL pesto"eu tnelii upon ms n.gh0h
Gueous, anu noil uescenIant u that fanny
.hey VIZ puicnsseu oy cue Dauphin w auori
'lG niarriaSe coroett'e Vi Marie An.oiiieIte. Al
Inc NEARER oi tne most Hiasnlncant pear
" .n's ieaSI Vi pears was certain ronsn
lauy, mno Mas reiharhaple ior lne wealth.
anu oeauty WHICH nrst cauSeu ner 10 De re
T GelVeo aiIons .ne inmates oi tne lulierles
= ne peaIi III quos.loh nuiis as urop 70
Dreastpih y. quallt anu curious iaSnioiii
wnlcn the Iair owner had tne goou taste te
not aiter OF amend III keeping WIN prevail
ing iasnions;
Mr. FRANK buckianu, having nearu tna'
tnere were some eAcseuingly nne pears
among tne oco.tisI IeSaiia III y, Euin1ure Gastie
wrote 70 young lady reslding IN EelnDurgh
anu dsheu ner W Procule wnat hilOrnlatloi
sne coulu aDout thenl lor nun. ms ad!
took tne PAINS 70 go 70 .he Cassie, ana secur
ing tne desired hhowleoge MAGE a tne follow
M Iepols On tne suIJect: senS you
p1u S; u snI re,ia "; noo.i1ii .s1
~ oii a.oi ooo... on ai.1l "li.es A' in nn
pono. VI Moih anue .nS n;',,so,, vi wsI
n. .,,S u - pAp .;., a,,,;na"a cbanoe f;rS
Stnd =, tbe p ,aar 1eo5 Tho tiara Is sdorn
,';.,. fn,'r S,y1r,arh roar,s cot in cold and
fastanad in velvet which annaar hetweeT
1sseaJ tha arohos ;, 'oi'o'' ""''N "ppe", 'o'"'o-
'nT Tha a. oInS9. IL, os on 90 s,. .sv;s;+o.s houe
in nJ i"tt So uu ~ Say yo+s,1 d;s.aoo m"a'
tIo',nt Oo az rot;ng s T oa ~ taii no,, tha
tho sa5'r 1a5ra ISL ~ ."n Uy soI f ~ .ha
.no iouh h;nh d poais =. arc Iuri1Is t % .mv n,
s,ze, mmon Th STeneu W aS .ihe 81 .nSo tt. I
lalse pea' ,;,. aney are salu W pe % oJos'Sn, ~
iv on ~ tha e s,;mh.nst hl,a t,a i h;ob ',ai
n; nNmu y. so S..;Sb o,uo Will s',n,
t,arsd th;rt,, ,,,,"h spIion p '.lS uo ot !,
anu I'M inu0n 1lNll siiiaiioi peaiH %io ooe