The Rugby gazette and east Tennessee news. (Rugby, Morgan Co., Tenn.) 1884-188?, 1885-06-27
AMERICAN PEARLS.
How They Arc Obtained from the y.0woT
California; Fisheries,

California; Fisheries,
Most of the valuable gems found In
the fisheries of Baia California have
boon sent to Paris, the great pearl mar
ket of the world. About all the com
petition that exists is confined to q few
French houses, which have agents at
La Paz, who buy up the stones as fast
as found. 1t seems strange indillcr
ence on the part of the United States to
treasures so easily within her reach, not
to mention tho merchants of England
and Germany, that France is permitted
to secure all these gems for u nominal
sum, and then sell them again to these
same countries at. an eGormous adj
vance. =.
1t is difficult to approximate the value
of the Gulf of California fisheries, be-
cause the fishers themselves place u
mere nominal value on the pearls in
th il consular invoice, before sending
them to Europe. Thus q superb gem,
!, which may sell for $500 when first torn
from the red hand of the coral reef,
will bring in Paris from $1,000 to
$4,000. Yet, with the hlphazard policy
that has always prevailed, the annual
yield of thc'g, If beds is estimated at not
less than $250,000 worth, while five
times that amount would more fifty rep
resent the real value of the pearls as
sold in Europe. The frequent occur
renee of black pearls in these fisheries
has given them unusual Importance,
those gems being now the rage on tho
Continent, to be worn by people in
mourning. Rare and beautiful pink
pearls are also occasionally brought up,
more valuable than diamonds of equal
size. During the year 1883 several not
able specimens were found. Among
them was light brown pearl, fleckcl
with darker shades, which weighed
I sixty-fve karats, its estimated value
being $4,000. 1t was brought
up by Manuel Urbano, and
purchased by the pearl firm
of Gonzales Il Ruffo. who sent it to
Paris. Another, found by Napoleon
Savin, WAS pear-shaped, white, shot
with dark specks. 1t weighed forty.
four karats, and sold for $500. Al
the same time Messrs Pablo, Hidalgl
& Co., pearl merchants of La Paz
secured another gem from some un
known Indian diver for which they
paid $40 and received $500 for it in
France. 1t was oval shape, of light
sandy color, perfect in contour anC
brilliant in luster, weighing thrty-twc
karats.. That lucky diver, Savin, fount
two other treasures last year, weighing
respectively forty-five and thirty ont
karats, which together, because OF tAeil
surprising lustor, brought $1,000
But the most famous treasure OF al
was secured years ago near Loreto b,
a Mexican diver, who came up into thu
sunshine with The lovclest gem of thu
sea grasped in his dusky hand, a per
feet pearl, weighing 100 karats, which
may to-day be seen in the royal crown
of Isabel the Catholic.
The profit of the fisheries is by M
means limited to the pearls them
selves. The shells ore also coveted
the poorest selling upon the spot TO
from 8 to II GEMS per pound, whil
in Europe, where the lining of thu
shells is worked into buttons and knife
handles, they bring from 20 to 81
cents per pound. Many OF the large
shells are shipped to San Francisco
where, as mother-of-pcarl, they fin,
ready sale at from Sl.[O to IS pc
pound. For centuries the Gulf coas
has been noted for its Genealogical
beauties, but the shells of the pear
fisheries are most highly priced, som
OF them being fully fifteen inches wide
and marve,ously beautiful when pol
ished. One may find them for sale i,
the San Francisco shops for fabulou
prices, with birds, flowers or land
scapes deliberately carved upon them
The meat of the pearl oysters, thougl
unstable in the American market,
also made source of profit, bein
, readily bought by Cinnamon, who dr.
. the leathcry little bivalvcs, or seal thor
up in cans and send them to thei
brethren in China or in San Francisco
Those scions of the Flowery Kingdom
: who reside III great numbers around tn
gulf, are never employed as divers, br
: are engaged in the un 'avory occupation
OF digging and shipping guano fror
wave washed caves and rock-boun
coasts, where sea- birds have been dc
, posting it for centuries. 1t is a well
5 known fact that pearls are sometime
> produced by means that are partly art
fetal, especially in the Japanese iishe,
les That gem of purost ray serene S
. priced by admirers Of precious stones i
ali ages of the world is but the resu
| of some lesion suffered by the oyster
. its soldificd tear of suffering. Henc
an injury is often purposoly inflicted b
{ introducing between the shells Il sma
, stone or shot or bit of gravel, and the
the oysters are again put to bed Th
process is said to be successful in pre-
.. ducing great quantities of pearls, br
+ those thus formed are inferior in lustf
! and less desirable for marketable pul
poses. No such attempts have bee
o made in the Mexican fisheries, for tho,
supplied by nature are sufficiently nj
%erous-sa" Francisco Cor NJ !
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