The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-07-07
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but 10 to 10 minutes while In SO feet OF water
he might be seen moving about the bottom
for several hours
The pearl shells from these waters are not
as large as those of Ceyon, but run from o'ooo
to 1000 to the ton. The true pearl oyster, the
Meleagrina of the Indian and south Pacihc
oceans varies in diameter from two to eight
inches, according to age. six inches beihg 'he
average One diver working with helmet anu
air pump secure as many as l5O0O oysters
In a season The greater part of the shell from
the La Paz fisheries Is shipped to San Fran
CISCO while most of the pearls go to Mexico Guy
and Paris In 1908 the production of these fish
cries was valued at $5,000,000, the pearls repre-
senting 900 and the mother-of-pearl smell
the balance
According to DR.. George F. Kunz, one OF the
worlds greatest authorities on pearls pearl
of the first water should possess perfect SKIN,
fine orient delicate texture, be free from
specks or flaws, and be of a translucent white
color with subdued iridescent sheen. 1t
should also be perfectly spherical. or, II not. or
symmetrical pear shape. White or pink pearls
are the finest owing to their delicate sheen.
Sometimes the outer layer can be removed the
subjacent surface revealing finer skin than
the outer one, and in this way pearl may be
improved.
The Lower California pearls are of a great
variety of shapes and color, round pear shaped
button pearl or fiat side, baroque, OIL
pearl OF irregular ana III color ranging
from white and pink to blue. green brown ant
black Some very famous pearls of history have
been taken from these waters
With hardly an exception there American
pearls among the crown jewels of every ruler o
Europe. In 1889, at the worlds fair in Paris
there was exhibited set of seven black pearl
from these Mexican fisheries, valued at s22 90
at that time, and today worth much more. On
of the largest pearls ever found here was sol
in Paris to the emperor of Austria for $40 OO
and the Spanish government presented Nap
leon Ill with a black Mexican pearl valued
$4,000
In Venezuela the principal oyster beds al
located around the island of Margarta whiC
, word in Spanish means pearl, and at Cubagu
Eel Tirano. Gulf of Paria and Coro, Porlama
Maracapana and Macanao. that this part
Venezuela became known to the early Spa
= iards as the Pearl coast
OF the Pearl islands of Panama bay, r
:, island is the largest of the group. The or
v village of any size among these Islands is S
> > Miguel az old as the fisheries themselves, t
tower of its little masonry church being thicl
. inlaid with beautiful nacreous shells from
"a fishing grounds on all sides.
e From the United States and Canada co
IL the fresll-water pearls, which are produced pI
ID cpally by the Unto. a species of musse CO
mon to all the mountain streams through
ly the country although pearl may be found
ne any mousk having a nacreous interior lni
sr, Pearls have been brought to the New
es market from almost every state in the Union
Canada principally from Ohio, Indiana, Hin
ng Kentucky Missouri. Arkansas. Michigan. Mil
let sofa, Te messee and Mississippi.