The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-12-04

raised a hue and cry, and took steps to at
tack the will, alleging thai the marquis had
been unduly Influenced. Fearing q new
scandal, Mime. Rattazzi effected com
promise with the would be heirs whereby
/ she surrendered to them the major portion
OF the fortune, retaining only a small part
thereof and the jewels, which are simply
| priceless.
Not very long ago, Nine. Rattazzi mar
ried for the third time. Her present nus
band is Bon Louis de Rute, who was under
secretary of state in Spain during AL
/ phonso Xlps reign and who is ten years
her junior. She possesses a great infiu-
ence both In France and in Spain, and, as !
remarked above, she Is still exquisitely
| lovely. She is uRdeniably one of the best
dressed women in Paris and when she ap-
pears in salon, wearing her imperial
Jewels and the grand GORDON and star of
the Spanish order of Marie Louise. she is
always the cynosure of all eyes. Among
her finest possessions is a necklace of grey
pearls, which the Marquis de Pommeraye
spent thirty years of his life in collecting,
pearl by pearl. 1t is valued at the fabu-
lous amount Of 100000 francs.
Speaking OF grey pearls, may mention
those belonging &c the czarina Of Russia,
which have cost $500, 900, and the black
pearls OF the empress OF Austria, which
are believed to be the rarest ever found.
The handsomest pearl now existing is
one which the great explorer Tayernier
sold TO shah of Persia at the end of the
seventeenth century, aud which now
ed-Din Shah. The original price was
2, 100000 francs. The Imam OF Mascate
possesses pearl weighing twelve and one
half carats. the popularity of which is that
1t Is absolutely transparent. This gem
was bought by the Imam for the modest
sum of 800 coo francs.
The Russian Princess Yousoupof owns
pearl weighing fourteen carats which is
valued at 100000 francs, and Pope Leo
XIIFs tiara is adorned with pink pearl
worth 100000 francs.
Queen Victoria's pink pearls, Empress
Frederick's seven rows of pure white
pearls, and Grand Duchess Marie of Rus
sia's superb necklace of the same gems,
rank among the most valuable jewels in
Europe.
Baroness Gustave de Rothsohild bought
some tine ago five rows of pearls for
which she paid one million and half of
francs, and the French actress, Marie
Magnier. is said to be the happy owner of
a cascade of pearls valued at 1900, 600
francs. Mile. Dosnes, sister of Nine.
Theirs, the Baroness Adolphe de Roths-
child, Nine. Perivier, Mime. Leonide Lee
blanc. the Marquise de Harcourt, the
Y 4SOAA bCSo uS NuOuCHyf 6bCsy are oil RESas
lovers of this gem, which Victor Hugo
has so graphically called ''the tear of the
sea-" and have spent enormous sums in
the purchase thereof
Queen Victoria was in the habit of giving
each of her daughters since the day they
wore born handsome pearl on every one
of their birthdays. and thus when they
grew up theyfoun themselves the happy
possessors Of remarkably handsome neck
laces. Empress Frederick of Germany
and Princess Christian followed this
charming example with their daughters.
The Duchess of Cumberland hes collar
of pearls valued at 100000. This jewel
was once worn by Queen Victoria, but she
was some years ago forced to surrender it
to the duchess on its being found that il
formed part of the crown jewels Of Han
over.
AS year follows year, pearls will become
more and more valuable, for it is reported
from the great eastern fisheries that pearl
oysters are getting very rare, and conse-
quently the day is not far off when pearls
will be far more precious than diamonds.
A. z. JOHNSON.