The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-25
The Most Beautiful Specimens in
Existence Now on Exhibition
in Moscow.
Diving for the Baubles Amid
Sharks, Stingrays and CLAIMS
Weighing Hundreds.
Taken by the Bushel in the Gulf of Cali.
f~ornia-Value of the Most Fa-
nous Pearls.

The finest pearls of the world come from
the Persian gulf, where the oyster beds pro-
duce 81, 600, 900 worth per annum. Because
the divers are of rather light complexion
they darken their bodies 50 that they may
not be seen SO readily by the sharks. In
the Sulu sea women do the diving for pearls
and prove very efficient in the work. 1t is
their task to dive for crabs and other sea
delicacies which the men folks like, and
thus they have plenty of practice. It is
here that the finest pearl shells are found.
some of them measuring Il yard across when
opened. The pearl fisheries of Ceylon be-
long to England, the natives being .em-
ployed to gather them on a basis of shares
in the result, says the Washington Star. All
sorts of superstitions prevail among them,
and a large business is lone by sorcerers
who sell charms to restrain the appetite of
the sharks and to drive away diabolical
stingrays. Another peril which the diver
breads more than either s~tingray or
shark is the giant clam, that weighs nearly
half a ton whom full grown. 1t will snap off
a mans leg like a pipestem if the victim
chances to thrust u limb between its open
jaws, or at all events will hold him until he
browns miserably. The average diver
thinks it a fair days work to secure 100 pearl
oysters in fifty feet of water. After being
taken ashore the mollusks are allowed to
accord. The pearls are classified by pass-
ing them through a series of sleeves. which
assert them into different sizes. Those
which are very small or defective are sold
to make a preparation for sore eyes. and
nervous complaints that is very popular in
the east. Gilded youth in India make it
their fad to mix powdered pearls instead of
lime with the betel nut they chew. In Sax
ony pearl mussels are carefully opened and
examined upon being taken out of the
water without ~injuring them, special lnstru-
ments being used for the purpose. Those
which are found not to contain pearls
nre restored to their native element.
1t is only in the gulf of Cali
~ifornia TINT regular diving gear is employed
in connection with the pearl fishery. The
beds there were pretty nearly destroyed 100
years ago, when from 800 to 900 pounds of
pearls were taken from them yearly. The
latter were packed OH mules and literally
sold by the bushel.
The most beautiful pearl in existence ia
L. P%ellegrini," Mt present exhibited in n
museum ut Moscow. 1t is perfectly spher-
ical, and 30 brilliant and pure az to appear
almost transparent; weight, ninety grains.
The imperial crown Of Austria contains a
pearl OF 800 carnts, but the biggest one in
the world is the Hope Pear" now In Lon
don, which weighs ak ounces and measures
two inches in length, it's estimated value
being 100000. There IL Il pearl in the
Spanish regain weighing 400 carats. II
was obtained from the Gulf of California,
Green pearls come from the Marianne
nrchipolaao. Two big rubv-red pearls
we're found at the Ceyion fishery ten years