Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1910-06-23
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but 10 to Is minutes while In so feet OF water
he might be seen moving about on the bottom
for several hours
The pearl shells from these waters are not
as large as those of Ceylon but run from 5000
to 1000 to the ton. The true pearl oyster, the
Meleagrina of the Indian and south Pacific
oceans, varies In diameter from two to eight
inches according to age, six inches being the
average. One diver working with helmet and
air pump can secure as many as $4,000 oysters
In 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 City
and Paris. In 1908 the production of these fish
cries was valued at $5,000,000, the pearls repre-.
senting $3,O0O,O00 and the motherof.pearl shell
the balance.
According to DR.. George f. Kunz one OF the
worlds greatest authorities on pearls pearl
OF the first water should possess perfect skim
line orient or delicate texture, be free from
specks or flaws, and be of translucent white
color, with a subdued iridescent sheen. II
should also be perfectly spherical or, II not, of
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 on one side barooue or
pearl of irregular shape, and In color ranging
from white and pink to blue, green, brown and
black. Some very famous pearls Of history have
been taken from these waters
With hardly an exception there are American
pearls among the crown jewels of every ruler OF
Europe. In 1889, at the worlds fair in Paris
there was exhibited set of seven black pearls
from these Mexican fisheries valued at 500 O0O
at that time, and today worth much more One
Oh the largest pearls ever found here was sold
In Paris 70 the emperor of Austria for 100000
and the Spanish government presented Nano
leon III. with a black Mexican pearl valued AZ
$4,000. -
In Venezuela the principal oyster beds ara
located around the island of Margarita. which
word in Spanish means pearl. and at Cubagua
Ell Tirano, Gulf of Paria and Coro. Porlamar
Maracapana and Macanao. so that this part Of
venezuela became known to the early Span
iards as the Pearl coast
OF the Pearl islands of Panama bay Rev
island is the largest of the group The only
village OF any size among these islands is San
Miguel, as old as the fisheries themselves tbs
tower of its little masonry church being tbickIy
inlaid with beautiful nacreous shells from tbs
fishing grounds on all Sides
From the United States and Canada coma
the fresh-water pearls, which are produced nrin
clpally by the Unto, a species of mussel com
mon to all the mountain streams throughout
the country, although pearl may be found IN
any mollusk having nacreous interior lninv
Pearls have been brought to the New York
market from almost every state in the Union and
Canada, principally from Ohio, Indiana Illinois
Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Michigan. Mime.
sofa, Tennessee and Mississippi.