Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-09-24
Pearls Scarce and Prices High.


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For some years pearls have been
steadily increasing in value, and for
the best varieties outrank the diamond
in value This increased value is &C,
counted for by the fact that the sup.
My is far more from equal to the dc.
mand. while the demand has been
largely caused by the dictate OF
| fashion.
Formerly marine pearls furnished
four titthS of the available supply, but
these fisheries have gradually fallen
! OF until now they produce only about
/ three tttthS of the yearly yield, the rest
/ being made up of fresh water pearls, In
this country fresh-water pearls are
generally found in bivalVe shells OF the
! family Cnionidae, also known as the
! NaiadeS These mussels are most
abundant in swift and clear water,
where the bottom is sandy or gravelly
and the country hook CalCareous. The
/ pearls found are few, and those Of
market value represent the destruction
of thousands OF muSsels for every one
obtained
The soft internal part of these mol.
/ lGsks are covered by n thin, delicate
membrane, called the mantle from the
surface and particularly from the outer
edges of which material is eNCrcted to
form the inner layers of the shell.
Whenever, by accidental injury. dis
ease or intrusion of foreign substances,
local irritation is set up In these
tissues the effect is to produce an
| increased secretion of the naCroouS
matter at this point, resulting In the
formation of pearls or pearly concre.
tons
Pearls are of several distinct kinds
differing in shape and perhaps in orig
in Free" pearls, those that are found
loose and separate between the folds
or layers of the mantle and gills, or
between the latter and the body of the
molusk comprise most of the true
spherical pearls, as also many that are
ovate. pear shaped and irregular,
Then there are the pearls found he
tween the mantle and the valves Of
the she'll; these II free at all, are apt
to be hemispherical or in any case
nattencd ON the side toward the shell,
While often they are attached more or
less to the valve by a deposit of the
pearly secretion. In the region of the
hinge these become extremely irreg-
ular in shape and often greatly elon,
gated. forming third kind, known as
, hinge pearls, baroques, etc,
The freshwater pearls differ from
, the marine pearls in their greater
variety of tints and in the partial
transparency of their nacre. In color
the freshwater pearls present an eN-
tended series of shades, from dead
Opaque white. having little value,
through various tints Of pink, yellow
and salmon. or faint purple, passing
to n bright red. so closely resembling
II NIOD bl llIblltu copper us dllubNl w
deceive the eye Some are very light
green and brown. others rose color,
and still others are pale steel blue,
russell, and purplish brown In add.
ton to their color and luster they are
beautifully iridesccnt, and at times the
white and pink pearls are more
nstrous than even the best oriental
pearls.
Many oddly shaped pearls are found.
Elongated fshlike forms found near
the hinge of the shell and called
hinge baroque pearls" are abundant,
Others. with a slight addition of gold
and enamel may be made to represent
human and animal heads, hat and bird
wings, and similar objects. A pearl
was found in this country that strik.
ngly resembed the bust of Michael
Angelo. In a few instances small
fishes and crabs which entered the
shell have been imprisoned and coy
cred eventually with nacre thus max.
Ing pearls Of them, at the same time
retaining their animals shape