The Washington herald., 1909-06-13
JUNE'S TITULARY GEM
Pearl Best Known of Precious Stones with
Exception of Diamond

The japanese have gone beyond The in
/ geniOUs Chinese By producing Joss figures
/ almost perfect pearls. This IS accom-
I pliShed by placing small copper or brass
I figures in the shells OF oysters and re-
I turning the mOIlUsks 20 the water. These
! figures cannot be expelled. and after
years they become coated with the peArly
substance. At first these joss figures
found In oysters we're proclaimed mir
acles. and many OF them were placed IN
! the temples OF worship. The japanese.
however. have found II more profitable 10
grow pearls for the American trade. the
exports now running into the millions OF
: dollars annually.
The pearl is simply carbonate OF line.
and IS the only gen that is used IN its
natural state AS il comes from the oys-
ter. so IL is worn; no labor can help IL;
no polishing viii add 10 its beauty The
best colored Is accounted the white: they
must be even, clear, and lively. without
speeks or flaws. and most particularly
must they be free from stains Though
the white holds the highest value. ve-
most beautiful gems are found among
them with blue. gray. greenish, or pink
tiat- Black pearls OF great value are
sometimes found The pearls. Ike al the
gems Of lesser hardness. wears dim with
time. and often discolors. OF. as jewelers.
term II. dies. Many methods have been
resOrteG 70 for restoring the original
beauty, but no process can ever restore
the lost splendor IN Irdia. where they
| become yellow with age. they are par
tally restored BY rubbing IN boiled rice
IN other parts OF the world baking them
IN bread is practiced- But IN Europe the
common plan is 20 feed them 10 chickens.
After the lapse OF a couple OF hours the
ehickens are killed and the pearls taken
out The action OF the gastric Juice OF
the fowl somewhat restores the color. but
none Of these methods can entirely re-
store the value.
Ihere Is scarcely a country upon the
face Of the earth where pearls al some
period have not been found Pearls of
great value have been taken from the
waters Of Ohio. Connecticut. and New
Jersey, as well as IN various parts OF
other States. The Queen pearl one
among the largest n existence. was
found IN the Notch Brook. near Paterson.
y J., and was purchased by the Empress
! Eugenie for 12.500 francs (s250O. The
Shah Of Persia pair s2S0,0o0 for the pear
shaped pearl found at Catirs. on the
Arabian coast. and which was given the
name OF Great MoguL Il was entirely
/ free from any defect and II stiu IN
existence is the largest pearl known.
being 81 inches in length by Ia inches
/ in diameter.
/ The pearl OF the Peacock throne is
! If inches in length, and IS also pear
shaped II Is among the crown Jewels
/ OF England. as that power long since
became possessed OF the Peacock throne
/ A third pear-shaped pearl was obtained
/ from the West Indies fisheries. It weighed
I fifty-five carets- Ar oval and a round
pearl are worn by the Great Mogui as the
! center drops Of a chain OF smeralds and
, rUbies They were OF great value, the
round one being the largest one ever dis
covered.
Among the crown jewels OF Spain Is a
/ pearl valued at $3.50 and which came
. from the Panama fisheries. Pope Leo X
+ had a pearl worth $4,000 History SAYS
/ that Julius Caesar owned a pearl valued
al what now would be S50000. and the
one swallowed by Cleopatra 70 the health
+ os Mark Antony was worth S575, 900 IN our
money.
/ The great pearls OF the world are re-
! duced TO a very limited number, most Of
them being spocryphal Large pearls
running over twenty carats In weight
which are absolutely known 10 exist al
this time do not number over two score
Like diamonds. their size rarely pssse.
over FIVE or SIX carats, while Of the smaI
or seed pearls the greatest Quantitie.
exist