Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-08-19
PRECIOUS PEARLS.
One of the Most Beautiful Ornaments Used
in Fashionable Jewelry.

PRECIOUS PEARLS
One of the Most Beautiful Ornaments Used
in Fashionable Jewelry.
The pearl, which has no real relation
ship with precious stones, is numbered
among them in the world of ornament
for the sake of its beauty. Formed al
most exclusively of lime and an organic
| matter secreted by its parent mollusca,
! it has yet, when its dimensions are
favorable, and its smooth and beautiful
form reflects with an inimitable softness
| the colOrs of the light, the preciousness
of a corindon, which can boast of birth
| far back in the AZoic age, and a dura-
| bility that, compared with the fragile
and sensitive .'gem of the sea- is we'll
| nigh eternal.
The pearl, which the ancients con-
| sidered a drop of dew imprisoned in the
| shell, which early some morning opened
| to receive its prize, and then held it like
little idol enshrined evermore, is now
well known to be a slow and perhaps
| painful product of the marine animal.
| which in several families belongs to the
| order Mollusca, the most important be-
| species which not only produces the
globular or pear-shaped pearl, but the
another of pear" that has a somewhat
similar luster, although different con-
struction; the constituent layers of the
pearl being concentric, while those of
mother of PEARL are parallel, which.
prevent the optical effects from being
| the same. Experiments have been
made to determine the time spent in the
formation of a pearl. and the result sug-
| gests that two or three years are spent
| to spread sufficient number of these
| pearly layers to reach a size of any
value.
There is no fixed money value of
| pearls according to their size, as quality
has SO important part in their vaua-
ton. a pearl of finest quality is spark
ling white, with a delicate reflection of
| azure; the least tint of yellow spoils it
completely, and in securing a necklace
of pearls the matching of size and tint
gives what is called an associate
| value" The bridal gift of the Princess
Royal of England, consisting of thirty
two well-matchcd though not perfectly
| associated pearls is valued at 1898, 900.
In 1889 the Crown of France held pearls
valued at S1S6, 900, but some of these
colorment, which no art has vet found
means to prevent or to cure.
The possibility of change in the beauty
and value of the pearl is one of the sad
perils attending its possession. A moral
is pointed against the too jealous hoard
ing of treasure in the history of mer-
chant who became the owner of Il Won
derful pearl of the size of q pigeons
egg, and of an opalescent lustrc so mar
Vicious that people travelled long dis
tances to be allowed to gaze upon the
wonder. The merchant, to express the
sanctity of this object, made it the CEN
tire of something like temple, whose
inner sanctum, paved with malachite,
and hung with Silken tapestries con-
tanned pedestal of Egyptian marble
on which was placed an intricate casket
unlocked by Il magical key under the
spell of incantations. SO guarding his
pearl, dearer to him than his life, and
representing a fortune, the merchant
reached the moment when he wished to
display his treasure to the eyes of royal
ty. A retinue OF mobiles and Il concourse
of bankers awaited the spectacle. The
mysterious alphabet which regulated the
openings of the manifold casket was
carefully followed; the unique key was
applied to the last guard of the priceless
treasure, when 10! almost death-struck
with sudden dismay, the merchant
found only mockery of the contents.
The imprisoned pearl had lost at once
its beauty and its value; it was. indeed,
no longer a pearl-the pearl of pearls
but poor little mass of unattractive
: limestone. fast darkening to decay.
The most beautiful pearls are found
in the Persian Gulf and the Straits of
Manaar, which separates Ceylon from
India, or more recently in the Gulf of
Mexico and upon the coasts of CalifOr-
MIA and the vicinity of Panama. Pan,
which is associated with the production
! of so many precious things that Ito
take pains has become the watchword
d, of achievement, is associated with the
pearl not only in its birth. but in its
presentation to the daylight. The pearl
| divers are u short-lived and suffering
, people.
The love of the ancients for pearls, the
extravaganza OF the Romans in spend
ing fortunes upon them, is well known.
and moderns have exhibited equal
enthusiasm. Twenty-Five years were
spent in search for virgin pearls to
form the necklace (the most perfect pearl
necklace now in the worlD of the dow
ager Empress of Russia.
Just at present the rage in jewelry
is for pearls, and they are set with dia-
! monds, or arranged together in many
/ charming forms. Rosettes and pansies
of pearls are linked together with grad
ed strings, or strung like rosaries; ear
rings are made in circlets and other
Greek forms; hemisphere of large
pearls is one of the capriceS as a clasp
TO the bodice. and two of the reipninU
beauties of the day wear tongs of dia-
monds casping as the live coal" a ra-
diant pearl.-N. Y Eceaiag Post.