Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-02-16
SOMETHING ABOUT PEARLS.


The Asia!ic conquests Of Pompcy first
turned the taste Of the Romans In The dlrec- |
tion oil pearls and precious stones. In bis |
lriumphal procession were borne ihirty-three |
crowns made of Pearls, a temple of the |
Muses. with a dial on the top, and a figure |
ol the victor himself wrought from the same
gems. Phnty denounced these exhibitions
Of exlTayagance in very pointed terms.
II appear that on their first introduction |
10 Rome pearls had been employed as ma |
leriAls for art. Not that the Romans en-.
graved in relief or intaglio upon so small and |
precious body; but the figures of Yarious |
things were formed OF small pearls strung
ON wire or white horse hair, and thus
fastened upon a model In a kind OF mosaic,
very much as the Lamb OF the Golden Fleece |
or the brooches OF seed pearl have been con-
structed
Pliny mentions that he had seen Lolita
Paulina, the widow OF Calgula, covered
head, neck, ears, and fngsrs-wilh strings
Tearls and emeTads placed alternately, 10
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 Gays, 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.
~ pun huOMu 10 luo AOmunb
weighed bali an ounce and one scTuple over.
This magnitude has seldom been equaled in
modern times. Barbot mentions pearl be-
longing TO the crown of France In 1901,
weighing one hundred and eight grains,
valued at eight thousand pounds. DE Boot
speals of one belonging to Rudolph H.,
weighing one hundred and eighty grains.
Philip ii. possessed one as large as pigeons
egg, OF one hundred and ihiTlY-iour grains
weight, and worth fifty thousand ducats.
This came from the Panama fishery, and
was entitled La PeTegrina; II was pear
shaped-the form generally attained by this
--speciees reiy iaIgo i.g,Al was bi0rght
irom India 10 1920 by Gougibus de Calais,
and sold to Philip w.; il weighed four hun
dred and eighty grainp. The merchant,
when asked by the King how he could ven
ture 10 risk his fortune in one little article,
replied because he knew there was King
of Spain 10 buy II oil him. This pearl, says
BaTboi, Afterwards became the property ol
the Russian princess Yousoppof.
The largest pearl on record ia probably
one bought by that most romantic Of
travellers and dealers in precious gems,
TavernieT, at Caifa, In Arabia, where a
pear, fishery existed In the days OF Pliny. 1t
Is SAID 10 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 thou
sand pounds.
Mr.. Hopes pearl, which is regarded as
the finest now known, is two inches long
and four inches around II weighs one
thousand eight hundred grains; and, like all
such varieties, is of such enormous, uncer-
tain value, that few purchases are ready 10
pay Its computed worth.
The most beautiful collection Of pearls be
longs, it is said, TO the Dowager Empress o
Russia. Her husband was exceedingly fond
oi her; and, as he shared with her a fancy
for gems OF this kind, he sought for them nj
over the world. They had to fulfill two
conditions rarely to be met with; they must b.
perfect spheres, and they must be virgil
peaTls-fOr lie would bny none that hat
been already worn. After 20 years searcl
he at last succeeded in presenting his EN-
press with necklace such as the world hal
never before seen.
The pearl is frequently mentioned il
Scripture as a symbol OF the highest degre
OF perfection. In the Old Testament wis
dom is praised above all pearls; and in III
New Testament the Kingdom oil heaven
compared to pearl Of great price, which
when a merchant had found II, he went an
sold all that be had and bought it.
Pearls, unlike most precious gems, al
susceptible OF a decomposition of the men
branes Of which they are formed in par
Every now and then we hear Of mob
family, which pTided itself on the possesso
Of magnificent ancestral pearls, panic stri
ken at finding some OF iis choicest pear
turning sickly color and cTumbling 10 dus
1t is but few years since the crow
jeweler OF France solemnly applied 10 Il
Academy Ol Sciences for remedy to me
the contingency presented in the freque
decay OF pearls, which he found to
Affected by contact with air. The Acaden
could afford no satisfactory advice, except
guard the gems from the influences OF lie
and air. The crown Of france has in Il
way lost come OF It's most highly piiz
Jewels.
In a little white room, with gilt cornic
in the TuileTles, a short time before the I
Ol the Empire, in the Council Chamber
that celebrated conclave, consisting of Il
Majesty, Madame de Moray, Madame
Persigny, and Madame DTouyn de Lhul
which dictated TO the world the foTlhco
ing modes, q remarkable step was TAXI
The fat went forth that all who were 10
present at a certain s0free must abandon
other Jewels save pearls. But when
evening came, the most magnificent poi
were not beheld In Her Maiesty's pGru
which caused the greatest anna cement amC
the connosseurs; for il was generally In
gined that the earrings, consisting of t
pear shaped pearls-worn by Henry II
and immorlalized by the picture Of 4
monarch by Porhous, wherein these pea
worn by the Empress. Henry Ill. bestoy
them upon his mlgnOu Guebus, aud iron
descendant OF that family they were p
chased by tue Dauphin to adOrn The ma
age eOr6elle OF Marie Antoinetle.
The wearer Of the most magnificent pI
of ''this feast of pearls" was certain Po
lady, who was remarkable for her wet
and beauty which first caused her 10 be
ceiyed among the inmates of the Tuller
The pearl In question hung as drop
breastpln of quaint aud curious FASH
which the fair owner had the good tasl
not alter or amend IN keeping with prev
ing fashions
MIR. Frank Buckland, having heard
there were some exceedingly fine pc
among the Scottish Regalia in Edlnbu
Castle, wrote TO a young lady residing
Edinburgh, and asked her TO procure "
Information she could about them Tor l
This lady took the pans to go to the Cal
and made the following report on the
jeet;