XVI FAMOUS PEARLS AND COLLECTIONS

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The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

St. Matthew, XIII, 45, 46.

In the course of twenty centuries many pearls and pearl collections have become famous, either because of their intrinsic value or else through historic associations. An attempt is made here to list briefly the more important of these. While we have purposely omitted any mention of the pearl collections in private hands at the present time, some of which are more valuable than many of those noted in the following pages, we have, nevertheless, given the principal sales of pearls at auction during the past twenty years. Many specimens of remarkable size and beauty have changed hands in this way, more especially in England.

Cleopatra Pearls. Next to that “pearl of great price,” mentioned by Christ, probably the most famous of all pearls were the two which Pliny records as having been worn in the ears of Cleopatra, “the singular and onely jewels of the world and even Nature’s wonder.” This writer does not note their size, but estimates their value at sixty million sestertii. We have already quoted the passage in which Pliny relates how one of these pearls was dissolved and swallowed by Cleopatra in order to win a wager she had made with Antony. After the death of that queen the other pearl “was cut in twaine, that in memoriall of that one halfe supper of theirs, it should remaine unto posterite, hanging at both the eares of Venus at Rome in the temple of Pantheon.”[480] BudÉ estimated the value of the pearl dedicated to Venus at 250,000 escus of gold.[481]

Another famous pearl mentioned by Pliny was the one which Julius CÆsar presented to Servilia, mother of Brutus, the value of which he notes as six million sestertii.[482]

Peroz Pearl. The historian Procopius,[483] of the sixth century, tells of a magnificent pearl which belonged to Peroz, or Firuz (459–484), one of the Sassanian kings of Persia. In the course of his disastrous battle with the White Huns, in which both he and his sons perished, Peroz, having a presentiment of the misfortune about to befall him, took the pearl from his right ear and cast it away, lest any one should wear it after him. This pearl is described as being “such as no king had ever worn up to that time.” Procopius, however, thinks it more probable that the ear of Peroz was cut off in the combat, and he states that the emperor (Zeno, 426–491) was very anxious to buy the gem from the Huns, but that all search for it was in vain. Nevertheless, a rumor was current that it was recovered later, but that another pearl was substituted for it and sold to Kobad, a successor of Peroz.

A different version is given by Panciroli,[484] who quotes Zonaras, a Byzantine historian of the twelfth century, as his authority. According to this version Justinian the Great, who succeeded to the throne forty-three years after the death of Peroz, offered one hundred pounds of gold (about $25,000) for the pearl, but the barbarians refused to part with it, preferring to keep it as a memorial of Persian folly. On the coins of Peroz he is represented wearing an earring with three pendants, one of which may have been this wonderful pearl.

Charles the Bold. One of the greatest jewels of the fifteenth century was that belonging to Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (1433–1477). According to notes and drawings[485] made in 1555 by J. J. Fugger of Nuremberg, who was the banker jeweler of his generation, this consisted of a large pyramid diamond five eighths of an inch square at the base, with the apex cut as a four-rayed star in relief; surrounding this were three rectangular pyramid-shaped rubies and three magnificent pear-shaped pearls, and a large ovate pearl was suspended from the lowest ruby. The pear pearls are described as measuring half an inch in diameter and must have weighed about sixty grains each. This magnificent jewel was probably the most celebrated in Europe during the fifteenth century. According to Comines, on the defeat of the Grand Duke and the plundering of his baggage by the Swiss at Granson in 1476, the ornament was found by a careless soldier who tossed it away, but retained the gold box containing it. On second thought, he searched for and recovered the jewel and sold it to a priest for one florin, and the ecclesiastic sold it to a Bernese government official for the sum of three florins. Some years later this jewel, together with the ducal cap of Charles the Bold, which was covered with pearls, and bore a plume case, set with diamonds (points), alternating with pearls and balas-rubies, was sold by the Bernese government to Jacob Fugger, as related by J. J. Fugger in the manuscript above noted, “for no more than 47,000 florins.” In the vain hope that it would be purchased by Emperor Charles V, grandson of Charles the Bold, Fugger held the jewel for many years, but he broke up the cap and reset the stones in it for Maximilian II. The brooch was finally sold to Henry VIII of England just before his death, and it passed to his daughter and successor, Bloody Mary, who presented it to her Spanish bridegroom, Philip. Thus, after seventy-six years, the jewel was restored to a descendant of the original owner. This history has been given at some length owing to its illustration of the manner in which great pearls were easily lost on battle-fields and were passed about from one country to another.

GAIKWAR OF BARODA, 1908

Tararequi Pearls. The early American fisheries yielded several magnificent pearls, many of which eventually became part of the imperial Spanish jewels. Prominent among these was the Huerfana or Sola. According to Gomara, this was secured in 1515 from the Indians at Tararequi, in the Gulf of Panama, in a large collection which weighed 880 ounces. It was pear-shaped and weighed thirty-one carats. Gomara states that this pearl was purchased from Gaspar de Morales, leader of the Spanish expedition, by a merchant, for the sum of 12,000 castilians. “The purchaser could not sleep that night for thinking on the fact that he had given so much money for one stone, and sold it the very next day to Pedrarias de Avila, for his wife Donna Isabel de Bovadilla”; and afterward it passed to Isabella, wife of Emperor Charles V (1500–1558). It was remarkable for its luster, color, and clearness, as well as for its size. Another large pearl in this collection weighed twenty-six carats.

Oviedo Pearl. As already noted on page 237, in his “Historia natural y general de las Indias,” published at Toledo in 1526, Gonzalo de Oviedo wrote of having purchased at Panama a pearl weighing twenty-six carats for which he paid 650 times its weight in fine gold, and which he claimed was the “greatest, fairest and roundest” that had ever been seen at Panama. Probably this was the twenty-six-carat pearl obtained at Tararequi by Gaspar de Morales in 1515. At 650 times its weight in gold the value of this pearl would be $2294.54; representing a base of $.2124 per grain; but at a base of $5 per grain the same pearl would be worth $54,080, equaling 15,320 times its weight in gold.

Temple of Talomeco. Among great collections of pearls, some writers would place that described by Garcilasso de la Vega as having been found by De Soto and his followers in 1540 in the Temple of Talomeco near the Savannah River in America.[486] According to Garcilasso, the quantity of pearls there was so great that 300 horses and 900 men would not have sufficed for its transportation, vastly excelling every other if not all other collections in the history of the world. Unfortunately the accuracy of this account has not been unquestioned.

La Peregrina. Most celebrated among the early American pearls was La Peregrina (the incomparable), or the Philip II pearl, which weighed 134 grains. According to Garcilasso de la Vega, who says that he saw it at Seville in 1597,[487] this was found at Panama in 1560 by a negro who was rewarded with his liberty, and his owner with the office of alcalde of Panama. Other authorities note that it came from the Venezuelan fisheries in 1574. It was carried to Spain by Don Diego de Temes, who presented it to Philip II (1527–1598). Jacques de Treco, court jeweler to the king, is credited with saying that it might be worth 30,000, 50,000 or 100,000 ducats, as one might choose to estimate, for in fact it was so remarkable as to be beyond any standard valuation. If we can credit Garcilasso, at one time this pearl decorated the crown of the Blessed Virgin in the church of Guadeloupe, which was resplendent with gems.[488] A contemporaneous account[489] notes that it was worn at Madrid by Queen Margarita, wife of Philip III, at the fÊtes given in celebration of the treaty of peace between that country and England in 1605.

Charles II Pearl. Somewhat similar to the foregoing was the pearl of Charles II of Spain (1661–1700), which was presented to that monarch by Don Pedro de Aponte, Conde del Palmer, a native of the Canaries. This gem was found in 1691, or more than a century after La Peregrina. These two pearls were nearly equal in size, and for many years they were worn as earrings by the successive queens of Spain. It is reported that they were destroyed in 1734, when a large portion of the old palace at Madrid was burned.[490]

MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS
The property of the Earl of Leven and Melville. About 1559–1560

The jewels of the Spanish crown have passed through so many vicissitudes that it is not surprising that but few of them remain in the Spanish treasury. After the overthrow of the Spanish monarchy by the French in 1808, Ferdinand VII, during the time of his exile, disposed of many of these jewels. It is asserted that, after the deposition of Queen Isabella, in 1868, the crown jewels were divided between herself and her sister, the pious Duchesse de Montpensier, and a considerable portion was eventually distributed among the numerous descendants of the latter. It is also stated that there is no mention of the Spanish crown jewels during the reign of King Amadeus, the first sovereign of the restored monarchy. There are, however, great quantities of pearls and other gems belonging to the various madonnas in the Spanish churches, as, for example, Nuestra SeÑora de Atocha, Cavadonga and others.

Pearls of Mary Stuart. The pearls owned by the unfortunate Mary Queen of Scots (1542–1587) were among the most beautiful in Europe. Inventories of these[491] show great bordures de tour of large pear pearls with entredeux of round pearls, long ropes of pearls strung like beads on a rosary, carcans or broad belts set with pearls, and a large number of loose pearls. Many of these appear in the portraits of this popular queen; but probably the most remarkable exhibition of them is in the portrait now owned by the Earl of Leven and Melville,[492] which appears to agree fairly well with the inventories of her jewels, although this portrait is not wholly free from impeachment as to its accuracy and contemporaneousness.

After the downfall of the queen, most of her jewels were sold, pawned, or lost by theft. A number of them passed into the possession of Queen Elizabeth in 1568, in a manner not wholly satisfactory to lovers of justice. Some of these were described in a letter dated May 8, 1568, and addressed to Catharine de’ Medici by Bodutel de la Forest, the French ambassador at the English court, as “six cordons of large pearls, strung as paternosters; but there are about twenty-five separate from the others much larger and more beautiful than those which are strung. They were first shown to three or four jewelers and lapidaries of this city, who estimated them at three thousand pounds sterling, and who offered to give that sum; certain Italian merchants who viewed them afterwards valued them at 12,000 escus, which is the price, as I am told, this queen [Elizabeth] will take them at. There is a Genevese who saw them after the others and estimated them as worth 16,000 escus [$24,000].”[493]

Catharine de’ Medici, who was a mother-in-law of Mary Stuart, was very anxious to obtain these pearls; but the ambassador wrote on May 15, 1568, that he had found it impossible to purchase them; for, as he had told her from the first, they were intended for the gratification of the Queen of England, who had purchased them at her own price, and was even then in possession of them.[494]

Queen Elizabeth’s Pearls. Although in her youth she is said to have had a distaste for personal decorations, in her later years Queen Elizabeth entertained an extravagant fondness for pearls. In speaking of her portraits, Horace Walpole says: “A pale Roman nose, a head of hair loaded with crowns and powdered with diamonds, a vast ruff, a vaster fardingale, and a bushel of pearls, are features by which everybody knows at once the pictures of Queen Elizabeth.”[495] And to the end, her love for them was unabated, for in the last tragi-comic scene of her life, to meet the Angel of Death himself, she was dressed up in her most splendid jewels with great pearl necklaces and earrings and pendants, as Paul Delaroche so successfully pictured in his remarkable painting in the Louvre.

The faded waxwork effigy of her, long preserved in Westminster Abbey in that curious collection of effigies[496]—the “Ragged Regiment,” as Walpole called them—has a coronet of large spherical pearls in wax, long necklaces of them, a great pearl-ornamented stomacher, pearl earrings with large pear-shaped pendants, and even broad, pearl medallions on the shoe-bows. In accordance with that singular custom which prevailed from the time of Henry V (1422), to that of Queen Anne (1714),[497] this effigy lay on her coffin at the funeral and caused, says Stow in his Chronicle, “such a general sighing, groning, and weeping, as the like hath not beene seene or knowne in the memory of man.” A contemporaneous poet wrote that when the corpse with the effigy passed down the Thames to lie in state at Whitehall,

Fish wept their eyes of pearl quite out,
And swam blind after.

Gresham Pearl. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Sir Thomas Gresham, the merchant prince, was credited with possessing a pearl valued at £15,000, which he reduced to powder and drank in a glass of wine to the health of the queen, in order to astonish the Spanish ambassador, with whom he had laid a wager that he would give a more costly dinner than could the Spaniards.[498] No other information regarding this pearl seems available. The valuation certainly appears excessive when compared with that of some other pearls of that period.

We quote an item from Burgon,[499] taken from the manuscript journal kept by Edward VI:

25 [April, 1551]. A bargaine made with the Fulcare for about 60,000 l. that in May and August should be paid, for the deferring of it. First, that the Foulcare should put it off for ten in the hundred. Secondly, that I should buy 12,000 marks weight at 6 shilinges the ounce to be delivered at Antwerpe, and so conveyed over. Thirdly, I should pay 100,000 crowns for a very faire juel of his, four rubies marvelous big, one orient and great diamount, and one great pearle.

Rudolph II Pearls. The scientific, art-loving, but eccentric Rudolph II (1552–1612), Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, gathered about him at Prague a great collection of jewels and wealth of all sorts. The values of his pearls and precious stones, of the gold and silver articles, was estimated by the archÆologist, Jules CÆsar Boulenger, at seventeen millions of gold florins, which was a very considerable sum at that time, as appears when we consider that one hundred gold florins annually was deemed a good salary for an official at the emperor’s court. De Boot mentions a pearl belonging to Rudolph II which weighed “thirty carats and cost as many thousands of gold pieces.” It is quite likely that this was the one noted by Gomara as coming from the Gulf of Panama,[500] and which Rudolph probably inherited from his grandfather, Emperor Charles V. The pearl bought by Oviedo in Panama, prior to 1526, may be one of the principal decorations of the imperial crown of Austria.

We read in that curious and interesting book, “The Generall Historie of the Turkes,” by Richard Knolles,[501] that Abbas the Great, Shah of Persia (1557–1628), after having defeated the Turks in many battles, desired to form an alliance with Emperor Rudolph II, and to induce him to break his engagements with the Turks. To this end Shah Abbas, in 1610 sent an embassy to Prague, with many valuable gifts for the emperor, among which were “three orientall pearles exceeding big.” It has been conjectured, and it is also claimed, that these may be three of the eight pear-shaped pearls which are now to be seen in the crown of Rudolph II. One of the largest pearls in the Austrian crown, as we have stated, is most probably the Oviedo pearl.

Charles I Pearl. Admirers of Vandyke’s pictures of Charles I (1600–1649) readily recall the pearl pendant from his right ear, which appears in nearly all of his portraits by that artist. Janin wrote: “This pearl in the ear of his majesty was greatly coveted, and as soon as his head had fallen, the witnesses of the dreadful scene rushed forward, ready to imbue their hands in his blood in order to secure the royal jewel.” It seems more probable that the martyr king would have left this gem in the hands of a trusty friend for his family than to the risk of injury by the ax and to be torn from his mutilated head by a scrambling mob.

Owing to their control of the great fisheries, the most valuable collections of pearls have been held by eastern monarchs, and particularly by those of India and Persia. It has been estimated that one third of the portable wealth of these countries is in jewels. Most Orientals are as suspicious of interest in their jewels as they are of inquiry regarding their harems, imagining, doubtless, that the interest conceals a sentiment of cupidity, hence it is not practicable to give a minute description of them. However, several travelers have recorded glowing accounts of collections which they have examined, which read much like a description of Aladdin’s palace in the Arabian Nights. Among these, some of the greatest are the

Pearls described by Tavernier. For accounts of remarkable pearls in eastern countries in the seventeenth century, we are indebted to that well-informed old French jeweler, Tavernier, one of the most remarkable gem dealers the world has ever known. He made numerous journeys to Persia, Turkey, Central Asia, and the East Indies, gaining the confidence of the highest officials and trading in gems of the greatest value. After amassing a large fortune and purchasing a barony near Lake Geneva, he died at Moscow in 1689 while on a mercantile trip to the Orient, at the age of eighty-four years. His “Voyages,” published in 1676–1679, reveal a critical knowledge of gems, a remarkable insight into human nature, and the absence of any intention to impart misleading information.

In the first English edition of his travels, published in 1678, Tavernier gave sketches of five of the principal pearls which came under his careful observation.

Figure 1 of Tavernier’s diagram shows what he considered “the largest and most perfect pearl ever discovered, and without the least defect.” The weight of this pear-shaped gem does not appear to have been noted, but from the sketch it may be estimated at about 500 grains. Tavernier states that the bloodthirsty Shah Sofi, King of Persia, purchased it in 1633 from an Arab who had just received it from the fisheries at El Katif. “It cost him 32,000 tomans, or 1,400,000 livres of our money, at the rate of 46 livres and 6 deniers per toman ($552,000).”[502]

QUEEN ELIZABETH OF ENGLAND

ELIZABETH OF FRANCE

Very much smaller but more beautiful than this great pearl, was the one which Tavernier saw in 1670 at Ormus in the possession of the Imam of Muscat, who had recently recovered the Muscat peninsula from the Portuguese. The jeweler stated that although this weighed only twelve and one sixteenth carats (forty-eight and a quarter grains),[503] and was not perfectly round, it surpassed in beauty all others in the world at that time. It was so clear and lustrous as to appear translucent. At the conclusion of a grand entertainment given by the Khan of Ormus, at which Tavernier was present, the Prince of Muscat drew this gem from a small purse suspended about his neck, and exhibited it to the company. The Khan of Ormus offered 2000 tomans (about $34,500) for it, but the owner would not part with his treasure. Tavernier states that later the prince refused an offer of 40,000 escus ($45,000) from Aurangzeb, the Great Mogul of India.[504]

Figure 3 in the diagram represents a pear-shaped pearl of fifty-five carats (220 grains) which Tavernier sold to Shaista Khan, uncle of the Grand Mogul. Although of large size and good shape, this was deficient in luster. According to the jeweler, this pearl was from the Island of Margarita on the Venezuelan coast, and was the largest ever carried from Occident to Orient.

Tavernier listed among the Great Mogul’s jewels a large olive-shaped pearl, perfect in form and luster. The weight was not noted, but from the sketch which he gave (see Fig. 4) it may be estimated at about 125 grains. It formed the central ornament of a chain of emeralds and rubies, which the Mogul sometimes wore about his neck. He also listed a round pearl of perfect form (see Fig. 5). The weight of this also is not noted, but from the sketch it may be estimated at 110 grains. This was the largest perfectly spherical pearl known to Tavernier. Its equal had never been found, and for that reason it was kept with the unmounted jewels.

Among the other pearl treasures of the Great Mogul, Tavernier noted the following:

(a) Two grand, pear-shaped pearls, one weighing about seventy ratis,[505] a little flattened on both sides, and of beautiful water and good form. (b) A button-shaped pearl, weighing from fifty-five to sixty ratis, of good form and good water. (c) A round pearl of great perfection, a little flat on one side and weighing fifty-six ratis; this had been presented to the Great Mogul by Shah Abbas II, King of Persia. (d) Three round yellowish pearls weighing from twenty-five to twenty-eight ratis each. (e) A perfectly round pearl, thirty-five and a half ratis, white and perfect in all respects. This was the only jewel purchased by the Great Mogul himself, the others being inherited or coming to him as presents. (f) Two pearls perfectly shaped and equal, each weighing twenty-five and a quarter ratis. (g) Also two chains, one of pearls and rubies of different shapes pierced like the pearls; the other of pearls and emeralds, round and bored. All of these pearls were round and ranged in weight from ten to twelve ratis each.[506]

Peacock Throne. The famous Takht-i-TÂ’Ûs, or “Peacock Throne,” at Delhi doubtless contained the greatest accumulation of gems in the seventeenth century. It was completed, in the eighth year of his reign (1044 A.H., 1634 A.D.) by Shah Jehan, greatest of Mogul sovereigns, who likewise built the Taj Mahal at Agra, one of the most beautiful edifices ever designed by man. Abd-al-Hamid, of Lahore, in his PÂd-shÂh-nÂmah, “Book of the King,” composed prior to 1654, writes as follows:[507]

In the course of years many valuable gems had come into the imperial jewel house, each one of which might serve as an ear-drop for Venus or as an adornment for the girdle of the Sun. Upon the accession of the emperor, it occurred to him that, in the opinion of far-seeing men the acquisition of such rare jewels and the keeping of such wonderful brilliants could render but one service, that of adorning the throne of the empire. They ought, therefore, to be put to such a use that beholders might benefit by their splendour and that majesty might shine with increased brilliancy.

As described by Tavernier in 1676, great quantities of pearls were used in the ornamentation of this throne, the arched roof, the supporting pillars, the adjacent sun-umbrellas, being well covered with these gems, many of them of great value. The choicest one was pear-shaped, yellowish in color, and weighed about fifty carats (200 grains);[508] this was suspended from a great ruby which ornamented the breast of the peacock. “But that which in my opinion is the most costly thing about this magnificent throne is that the twelve columns supporting the canopy are surrounded with beautiful rows of pearls, which are round and of fine water, and weigh from 6 to 10 carats each [24 to 40 grains].”[509] The total value of the jewels entering into the ornamentation was estimated at 160,500,000 livres or $60,187,500; and the present value of the throne as it stands in the shah’s palace at Teheran, whither it was carried by Nadir Shah from the sack of Delhi in 1739, even though divested of many of its most valuable gems, is estimated at $13,000,000.[510] The designer of the Peacock Throne was Austin de Bordeaux, who also planned the magnificent Taj Mahal. He was named by Shah Jehan, “Jewel-Handed,” and received a salary of two thousand rupees a month.

Shah’s “Tippet.” Sir Harford Jones Brydges’ description of the jewels of the Shah of Persia at Teheran is of particular value, since he had formerly dealt in jewels and was an expert in such matters. He says:

I was particularly struck with the king’s tippet, a covering for part of his back, his shoulders and his arms, which is only used on the very highest occasions. It is a piece of pearl work of the most beautiful pattern; the pearls are worked on velvet, but they stand so close together that little, if any, of the velvet is visible. It took me a good hour to examine this single article, which I have no fear of saying can not be matched in the world. There was not a single pearl employed in forming this most gorgeous trapping less in size than the largest marrow-fat pea I ever saw raised in England, and many—I should suppose from 150 to 200—the size of a wild plum, and throughout the whole of these pearls, it would puzzle the best jeweler who should examine them most critically to discover in more than 4 or 5 a serious fault. The tassel is formed of pearls of the most uncommon size and beauty; and the emerald which forms the top of the tassel is perhaps the largest perfect one in the world.... For some days after I had seen these jewels, I attempted to make an estimate of their value, but I got so confused in the recollection of their weight and the allowance to be made in some of them for their perfection in water and color, that I gave it up as impossible. I cannot, however, think I shall much mislead if I say that on a moderate, perhaps a low calculation, their value cannot be less than fifteen millions [sterling?] of our money.[511]

Shah’s Pearls in 1820. Nearly a century ago the elaborate state costume of the Shah of Persia was described by the English artist, Sir Robert Ker Porter. In this description he mentioned particularly the pearls in the tiara, the pear-shaped pearls of immense size with which the plumes were tipped, the two strings of pearls—“probably the largest in the world”—which crossed the king’s shoulders, and the large cushion incased in a network of beautiful pearls against which he reclined.[512]

Pearls of the Gaikwar of Baroda. Among the greatest jeweled treasures of India are those of the present Mahratta Gaikwar of Baroda, who has precedence over all the rulers in India at all functions, and is one of the most prominent and enlightened of the Indian princes. He governs a province of about 8225 square miles and 2,415,396 inhabitants in the northwestern part of India, 248 miles north of Bombay. Most of these treasures, whose value is estimated at a dozen million dollars, were collected by his predecessor, Mahratta Khandarao, who lived in barbaric splendor, and they are rarely worn by the present gaikwar. These treasures include a sash of one hundred rows of pearls, terminating in a great tassel of pearls and emeralds; seven rows of superb pearls whose value is estimated at half a million dollars; a litter set with seed-pearls, quantities of unstrung pearls, and more remarkable yet, a shawl or carpet of pearls, which closely resembles the “tippet” at Teheran described by Brydge. This carpet is said to be ten and one half feet long by six feet wide, and to be made up of strings of pearls, except that a border, eleven inches wide, and also center ornaments, are worked out in diamonds. Some writers assert that this costly ornament was originally intended by the late Mahratta Khandarao as a covering for the tomb of Mohammed. Others state that it was designed as a present for a woman of whom he was enamoured, but that the British resident interfered, claiming that the wealth of Baroda was not sufficient to warrant such an expensive gift on the part of the ruler. This ornament is now retained among the regalia at Baroda, and is probably the most costly pearl ornament in the world, its value being estimated at several million dollars.

Summer Palace in 1860. Many superb pearls were among the precious objects in the Yuen-Min-Yuen or Summer Palace in Pekin at the time of its capture by the European forces in 1860. Numbers of these were lost in the confusion of the sacking and plunder, when the soldiers’ pockets were filled and the floors were strewn with jewels, beautiful objects of gold and silver, rich silks and furs, carved jade, lapis lazuli, etc. Some of the pearls found their way to Europe, and especially to France and England. They were of good size and luster and were mostly yellowish in color. Unfortunately, many were crudely drilled with large holes, and had been strung on gold wires by which they were attached to the idols they decorated at the time they were stolen. More than one hundred, each over thirty grains in weight, were received in England, and sold at an average of nearly one thousand dollars.

PEARL CARPET OR SHAWL OF THE GAIKWAR OF BARODA

A similar booty came from the spoliation during the war between China and Japan in 1894, and during the Boxer outbreaks of 1901, and quantities of pearls, often large and of fine color, but a little the worse for wear, were brought to the United States and Europe by the soldiers and officials, and also by traders and travelers who obtained them in China. The pendant figured is one of these objects.

The Gogibus Pearl. This famous pearl, said to have been the largest in Europe, weighed no less than 126 carats (504 grains). It was pear-shaped and of fine orient, and was brought from the West Indies, in 1620, by FranÇois Gogibus, a native of Calais, who sold it to Philip IV of Spain. As no match could be found for this magnificent gem, it was mounted as a button in the royal cap.[513]

La Reine des Perles. The large round pearl of the French crown jewels which is listed in the inventory of 1791 at 200,000 francs, was purchased in 1669[514] for the sum of 40,000 livres, from a gem dealer named Bazu, who had traveled in the East at about the time of Tavernier’s voyage. In the inventory of 1691, it is described as “a virgin pearl, perfect, round, and of fine water,” weighing 27½ carats and valued at 90,000 livres. When the greater part of the jewels were stolen from the Garde-Meuble in 1792, we are told that the thieves took a pearl inclosed in a gold box on which was written: “The queen of pearls.” This was most probably the one we have described and there is reason to believe that this same pearl came later into the possession of the Zozima brothers, and was called La Pellegrina.

La RÉgente. This name was bestowed upon a big, ovate pearl which was in the collection of the French crown jewels. This pearl, which weighs 337 grains, was furnished in November, 1811, by the court jewelers, Messrs. Noitat, for a tiara, worn by Marie Louise, Empress of France. By order of the emperor, Napoleon III, the pearl was taken out of the tiara and mounted, in August, 1853, by the Paris jeweler Lemounier into a brooch. This great brooch, with “La RÉgente” as the central gem, was bought by Faberge & Company of St. Petersburg, Russia, for the Princess Youssoupoff at the “Vente des Diamants de la Couronne” in 1887.

La Pellegrina. For nearly a century there has been in Russia one of the most lovely pearls in the world; this is La Pellegrina, formerly owned by the Zozima brothers of Moscow, who were antiquarians of note in St. Petersburg. In 1818 a small book of forty-eight pages was written about this beautiful gem by G. Fischer de Waldheim, vice-president of the Imperial Medico-Chirurgical Academy, probably the only book ever devoted to a single pearl. According to this writer, La Pellegrina was purchased at Leghorn by one of the Zozima brothers from an English admiral who had just returned from India. It combines all the requisites of perfection: it is absolutely spherical and has never been pierced; its luster, its silvery sheen, make it appear almost transparent, and for a pearl of this high grade, it is of remarkable size, weighing 111½ grains.

The Zozima brothers retained it in a sea-urchin shell mounted in gold and with a convex lens as cover; this was contained in a silver box, and this in turn in another box studded with gems. Although the lens enlarged the appearance of the pearl, it detracted from its beautiful form, giving it an oval shape. But when removed from the triple inclosure, it rolled about like a globule of quicksilver, and surpassed that metal in whiteness and brilliancy.

Everything that is beautiful and perfect takes such possession of the beholder that words become insufficient to express his feelings; and that is what happened to me in the case of La Pellegrina of Zozima. One must have seen an object of this kind in order to appreciate the impression it makes. As an evidence of this, I shall note the last visit which I made to the owner in company with several distinguished persons.

After having examined many curious medals and coins, and also some pearls which exceeded in size the one of which I treat, and after they had received their due meed of admiration, La Pellegrina appeared, rolled upon a sheet of paper by the owner’s little finger. Attention and admiration was depicted on every face; a perfect silence reigned. It was only when the pearl had been removed very carefully lest it should slip away, and was again triply enclosed, that we recovered the power of speech and could unanimously express our admiration.[515]

As it had been stated that this pearl was in the possession of the Princess Youssoupoff, Mr. Henry W. Hiller of New York, who was in St. Petersburg, courteously made inquiries and was successful in obtaining a view of the two splendid pear-shaped pearls. These are almost exactly alike, but neither of them can well be La Pellegrina, since this is a round pearl; possibly the one on the right may be La Peregrina.[516]

THE HOPE PEARL. WEIGHS 1800 GRAINS
Actual size

The owner of La Pellegrina in 1818, Z. P. Zozima, died in Moscow at a great age, in 1827. He was a Greek dealer in curiosities and gems, who had resided in Moscow for a long time, and had many clients among the nobility of Russia. It is stated that a few months before his death the best pieces of his collection, including La Pellegrina, were stolen from him by a compatriot.

Moscow Pearl, 1840. The German traveler, Johann Georg Kohl (1808–1878), in the account of his travels in Russia, relates an interesting incident connected with a beautiful pearl in the Imperial Treasury. Shortly previous to 1840, a rich Moscow merchant died in a convent, whither he had retreated after the manner of the wealthy pious ones of his nation. Feeling the approach of age, he had given up the toils of business to his sons. His wife was dead, and the only beloved object which even in the cloister was not separated from him was a large, beautiful, oriental pearl. This precious object had been purchased for him by some Persian or Arabian friend at a high price, and, enchanted by its water, magnificent size, and color, its perfect shape and luster, he would never part with it, however enormous the sum offered. He himself inhabited an ordinary cell in the convent; but this object of his love reposed on silk in a golden casket. It was shown to few persons, and favorable circumstances and strong recommendations were necessary to obtain such a favor. A Moscow resident reported the style and manner of the ceremony. On the appointed day he went with his friends to the convent, and found the old gentleman awaiting his guests in his holiday clothes. Their reception had something of solemnity about it. The old man went into his cell and brought out the casket in its rich covering. He spread white satin on the table, and, unlocking the casket, let the precious pearl roll out before the enchanted eyes of the spectators. No one ventured to touch it, but all burst into acclamations, and the old man’s eyes gleamed like his pearl. After a short time it was returned to the casket. During his last illness, the old gentleman never let the pearl out of his hand, and after his death it was with difficulty taken from his stiffened fingers.

There seems to be a great similarity between the description of this pearl and that of La Pellegrina, although we have been unable to verify our surmise as to their identity.

The Hope Pearl. In the first half of the last century, Henry Philip Hope, a London banker, brought together a great collection of gems, among which were many pearls. The most famous of these was the often-described Hope pearl, one of the largest known; the value of which, however, is not in proportion to its size, owing to its irregular formation. As described in the catalogue of the Hope collection, published in 1839, this oriental pearl is of an irregular pear-shape, weighs 1800 grains, or three ounces, measures two inches in length, and in circumference four and one half inches at the broadest and three and one fourth inches at the narrowest end. The color at the larger end is of a bronze or a dark green copper tint, this gradually clearing into a fine white luster for within one and one half inches of the smaller end. This baroque pearl was firmly attached to the shell, and it yet shows the point of attachment, which has been polished so as to correspond to the remaining portion. It is attractively mounted, the smaller end being capped with an arched crown of red enameled gold set with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds.[517] After remaining in the Hope jewel collection at the South Kensington Museum for many years, it was sold at auction, at Christie’s, in 1886, when that collection was placed on the market. This pearl is now held by Messrs. Garrard & Company of London, at the price of £9000.

The Hope collection also contained about 148 pearls of good form. Notable among these were the following: (a) a conical pearl weighing 151 grains, cream-white in color, from Polynesia; (b) a bouton pearl of 124 grains, bluish-white at the top and encircled by a dark bronze color; (c) an oval cream-colored pearl, weighing ninety-four grains, from the South Seas; (d) an eighty-nine-grain, roughly spherical pearl, one side bluish and the other of a light bronze; (e) an eighty-five-grain, acorn-shaped, bluish-white pearl, with a band of opaque white near the base; (f) an oval conch pearl, pink in general color and somewhat whitish at the ends, weighing eighty-two and one fourth grains; (g) another conch pearl, seventy-seven and one half grains, button-shaped, yellowish white with a slight shade of pink; (h) a seventy-six-and-one-half-grain drop-shaped pearl of a chatoyant aspect, of white color shaded with red, purple, and green; and (i) a pear-shaped Scottish pearl of thirty-four and three fourths grains, of a milky bluish caste, slightly tinged with pink.

Van Buren Pearls. Among the collections of the United States National Museum are two pendant pearls each weighing about thirty grains, and a necklace containing 148 pearls with an aggregate weight of 700 grains. These were presented in 1840 to President Van Buren by the Imam of Muscat. They were deposited in the vaults of the Treasury Department, where they remained until a few years ago, when, by the order of the Secretary of the Treasury, they were transferred to the custody of the National Museum where they now are.

HER GRACE, THE DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH

Thiers Necklace. In the galleries of the Louvre at Paris may be seen a pearl necklace formerly owned by the wife of President Thiers (1797–1887), consisting of 145 pearls in three rows. The weights of the three largest individual pearls are fifty-one, thirty-nine, and thirty-six grains, respectively. The aggregate weight is 2079 grains, and the value at the time of their deposit was estimated at 300,000 francs. This is on a base of $2.02; at a higher valuation the figures would be:

$148,947 = $71.64 per grain; base, $5
238,315 = 114.63 per grain; base, 8

the last being very probably nearer to the correct value of the necklace at the present time.

Tiffany Queen Pearl. Doubtless the most famous pearl ever found within the limits of the United States, and likewise one of the choicest, is the well-known “Queen Pearl,” found in Notch Brook near Paterson, New Jersey, in 1857.[518] In form it is a perfect sphere, and weighs ninety-three grains. The history of the discovery and of the sale of this beautiful gem is set forth on page 260.

The Bapst Pearls. Very practical is the account given by Streeter of a pair of magnificent spherical pearls exhibited at the Paris Exhibition in 1878 by Messrs. Bapst of Paris. One of these pearls—then weighing 116 grains—was purchased by Mr. Streeter in 1877, and by him sold to a leading merchant of London, who skilfully removed a blemish on it, reducing it to 113¾ grains in weight. After holding it for some months, it occurred to him that it would match a pearl sold by Hunt and Roskell to Dhuleep Singh about fifteen years previously. On comparison, the two were found to match perfectly, one weighing 113¾ and the other 113¼ grains. The two were eventually sold early in 1878 “for £4800, which was even then much below their value, and to-day they would be worth £10,000. They were exhibited in the great Paris Exposition in 1878, where they attracted universal attention, and were pronounced by connoisseurs to be the most extraordinary pair of pearls ever seen in Europe. They were sold from the exhibition to an individual for a very large sum.”[519]

The “Southern Cross.” The “Southern Cross” is an unusual pearl or rather cluster of pearls which attracted much attention twenty years ago. It consists of nine attached pearls forming a Roman cross about one and one half inches in length, seven pearls constituting the shaft or standard, while the arms are formed by one pearl on each side of the second one from the upper end. The luster is good, but the individual pearls are not perfect spheres, being mutually compressed at the point of juncture and considerably flattened at the back. If separated, the aggregate value of the individual pearls would be small, and the celebrity of the ornament is due almost exclusively to its form. This striking formation was exhibited at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition at London in 1886, and later at the Paris Exhibition in 1889, where it was the center of interest, and obtained a gold medal for the exhibitors. It is reported that an effort was made to bring about its sale at £10,000, the owners suggesting that it was especially appropriate for presentation to Leo XIII, on the occasion of his jubilee in 1896. The writers have been unable to obtain information as to its present location.

Much information relative to the “Southern Cross” was volunteered by Henry Taunton in the very interesting account of his wanderings in Australia. He presents apparently reliable statements showing that it was found on March 26, 1883, off Baldwin Creek in Lat. 17° S. and Long. 122° E., by a boy named Clark, in the employ of James W. S. Kelly, a master pearler. When delivered to Kelly, it was in three distinct pieces, but the boy reported that it was in one piece when he found it a few hours before. Kelly sold it in the three pieces in which he received it for £10 to a fellow pearler named Roy; Roy sold it for £40 to a man named Craig, and he sold it to an Australian syndicate.

However, according to Taunton’s positive statement, there were only eight pearls in the cluster when it was sold by Kelly in 1883, and to make it resemble a well-proportioned cross—the right arm being absent—another pearl of suitable size and shape was subsequently secured at Cossack and attached in the proper place to the others, which, in the meantime, had been refastened together by diamond cement, thus making three artificial joints in the present cluster. “As if to assist in the deception, nature had fashioned a hollow in the side of the central pearl just where the added pearl would have to be fitted; and—the whole pearling fleet with their pearls and shells coming into Cossack about this time—it was no difficult matter to select a pearl of the right size and with the convexity required. The holder paid some ten or twelve pounds for the option of selecting a pearl within given limits; and then once more, with the aid of diamond cement and that of a skilful ‘faker,’ this celebrated gem was transformed into a perfect cross.”[520]

Morgan-Tiffany Collection. Probably the most interesting assortment of American pearls is the Morgan-Tiffany Collection in the American Museum of Natural History, New York. The excellence of this collection lies, not in the high cost of any individual pearl, but in its illustrating in a comprehensive manner the great variety, colors, and forms of American pearls. Not only are the many varieties of fresh-water pearls represented, but likewise abalone pearls from the Pacific coast, conch pearls from the Gulf of Mexico, and a good assortment of pearly concretions from edible oysters and clams of the Atlantic coast.

This collection contains 557 species of white and colored Unio pearls, four multicolored, five mallet-shapes, 166 baroques, thirty-nine hinge pearls, twenty pearlaceous masses, thirty-four clam (Venus) pearls, fifteen abalone pearls, eleven conch pearls, and twelve oyster (Ostrea) pearls. The collection was exhibited in two parts, the first at the Paris Exposition of 1889, and the second at the Paris Exposition of 1900. On each occasion a gold medal was awarded.

Count Batthyani’s Pearl. A curious history is connected with a beautiful black pearl[521] which was at one time in the possession of Count Louis Batthyani, the premier of the revolutionary government of Hungary. The count was shot in 1849, by the orders of a court-martial, and on the eve of his execution he gave the pearl, which he had worn mounted on a scarf-pin, to his trusty and faithful valet. The latter left it to his son, who, when in straightened circumstances, sought to raise money upon the pearl. The pawnbroker of the small town was distrustful of its value and took it to Budapest for appraisal. There the suspicions of the authorities were aroused, an investigation was ordered, and it was finally discovered that the pearl had been stolen one hundred and fifty years before from the English crown. The English government redeemed it for the sum of £2500 ($12,500). How it came into the possession of Count Batthyani is a mystery; probably he purchased it from some antiquarian.

In 1900 there was shown in Paris one of the most important black pearls of any time, a pear-shaped pearl of forty-nine grains, of a most wonderful black color with a green sheen, as perfectly formed as though it had been turned out of a lathe; it did not terminate in a point at the small end, but was slightly flattened. It was so beautiful an object that it almost seemed it should never be drilled for mounting. This pearl ultimately sold for more than $30,000, and it is probably the finest black pearl that has ever reached the European markets.

According to a personal communication from E. Z. Steever, governor of the District of Sulu, the largest pearl that he has seen in the islands belongs to the sultan, and is now in the possession of Hadji Butu, former prime minister. It is an oblate spheroid, there being a trifling difference between the two diameters. The upper hemisphere is very beautiful; the lower one has a few minute, black specks which are superficial and could be easily removed, the pearl not having been treated since it was taken from the oyster. This pearl measures five eighths of an inch at its greatest diameter and is said to weigh twelve carats (forty-eight grains). Hadji Butu informed Governor Steever that the sultan had refused $25,000 for the pearl in Singapore.

The Nordica pearl is the finest abalone of which we have any record. It weighs 175 grains, is a drop pearl of a greenish hue, with brilliant red fire-like flashes, and serves as a pendant to the famous collection of colored pearls belonging to the beloved and admired American prima donna, Madam Nordica.

At the International Exposition in Paris in 1889, Mr. Alphonse Falco, president of the Chambre Syndicale, exhibited a round pearl, white and lustrous, weighing seventy grains, and valued at 50,000 francs.

Augusto Castellani, the well-known Italian jeweler of Rome, in the year 1868, during the Papal regime, executed a crown for King Victor Emmanuel II. This crown was destined for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in Jerusalem, and on it is a pearl which, although slightly irregular, is as large as the famous Gogibus pearl.

A remarkable golden-yellow pearl from Shark’s Bay, West Australia, is in the possession of a New York lady; it weighs thirty and one half grains, is perfectly round, and is without a flaw or blemish.

Crown Jewels of France. The collection of gems known as the Crown Jewels of France owed its origin to Francis I (1494–1547). While in Bordeaux, on his way to meet his bride, Eleanor of Austria, sister of Emperor Charles V, Francis created by letter patent the Treasure of the Crown Jewels, giving to the state a number of his most valued diamonds, under the condition that at each change of sovereign a careful inventory should be made. The original collection consisted of six pieces of jewelry valued at 272,242 “Écus soleil,” or about $700,000. The crown jewels have passed through many vicissitudes in the course of time. A number of the gems were at various times pledged as security for loans made in France and Italy, and it is said that in 1588, during the reign of Henry III, all the jewels disappeared from the royal treasury. Henry IV strove to regather the scattered ornaments, but it was only in the reign of Louis XIV that the collection became really important. At the time of the French Revolution, in 1791, an inventory was made by the order of the National Assembly.

THE MADAM NORDICA COLLECTION OF COLORED PEARLS
The Nordica drop pearl weighs 175 grains

The jewels were then deposited in the Garde-Meuble, where they were exposed to public view. Either they were very carelessly guarded, or the guardians were in collusion with a band of thieves, for the room wherein they were kept was entered on five successive nights, and when the theft was finally discovered only about 500,000 francs’ ($100,000) worth of the gems remained. Many of the most valuable objects were, however, traced and recovered. Napoleon I, when he became emperor, made every effort to enrich the treasure, and purchased gems to the value of 6,000,000 francs ($1,200,000), and subsequent rulers added to the collection on various occasions.

At the time of the official inventory in 1791 the entire collection of pearls was estimated at about 1,000,000 francs ($200,000). The finest specimen in the collection was a splendid round pearl weighing 109¼ grains[522] and estimated at 200,000 francs ($40,000), or $366 per grain, on a base of $3.35. Then came two pear-shaped pearls of a fine orient and well-matched, weighing respectively 117¾ and 113 grains, and valued at 300,000 francs ($60,000) or $260 per grain, on a base of $2.25. In addition to the above there were twenty-five separate round pearls which had constituted the necklace of the queen; they ranged in weight from 36 to 165½ grains, and were valued at about 90,000 francs ($18,000). Beside the pear-shaped pearls to which we have alluded, there were two other pairs, each valued at 32,000 francs ($6400) for the two pearls; they averaged about 100 grains in weight. In addition to these there were two weighing respectively 175½ and 205¼ grains, each valued at 20,000 francs ($4000), and seven others ranging in weight from 92½ to 167 grains and valued at from 10,000 to 15,000 francs ($2000 to $3000). The best oval pearl was one weighing seventy-six and one half grains and estimated at 20,000 francs ($4000); there were two others, one of ninety-three grains, valued at 12,000 francs ($2400), and one of 121 grains, valued at 10,000 francs ($2000). We may also mention an egg-shaped pearl weighing 145¼ grains, estimated as worth 10,000 francs ($2000), and a button pearl of 198 grains entered at 15,000 francs ($3000). Beside these separate pearls there were eleven strings comprising 310 pearls, weighing in all 6778 grains and valued at but 29,400 francs (about $6000). The average per pearl was 95 francs ($19), less than one dollar a grain.

These pearls, according to their beauty, would now be worth from four to six times the valuation here given, so that the two large pear-shaped pearls of the French crown may be worth to-day $200,000 and the great round pearl from $100,000 to $250,000.

Many of these pearls were a century old. They were collected at a time when not as much attention was paid to their absolute perfection and beauty as at the present time, for there probably never has been a period when rare and perfect pearls, diamonds, or rubies have been appreciated so much more highly than those of mediocre quality.

RECAPITULATION
Weight in grains Value
No. Average Total Francs U. S. currency
Round Pearls 1 109¼ 200,000 $40,000
3 79 238½ 29,000 5,800
11 77¼ 804½ 37,300 7,460
7 64½ 450½ 19,400 3,880
14 53¾ 753¼ 23,100 4,620
43 34½ 1488½ 16,100 3,220
Pear-shaped 2 115? 230¾ 300,000 60,000
4 99¼ 397½ 64,000 12,800
6 163? 978¾ 92,000 18,400
8 114¼ 914¼ 55,000 11,000
47 42¼ 1989¾ 24,600 4,920
Oval 3 27 290½ 42,000 8,400
9 72½ 654¼ 20,100 4,020
11 43 473¾ 5,000 1,000
Egg-shaped 1 145¼ 10,000 2,000
Irregular 12 39½ 475¼ 7,300 1,460
Button 1 198 15,000 3,000
6 66¼ 398 4,900 980
Baroque 4 37½ 150¾ 1,500 300
Strings 310 21? 6778 29,400 5,880





503 35? 17,919¼ 995,700 $199,140

GRAND PEARL DIADEM OF THE FRENCH CROWN JEWELS
Containing 212 pearls weighing 2452 grains, and 1990 diamonds weighing 74 27–32 carats. Worn by the Empress EugÉnie

After the downfall of Napoleon III and the proclamation of the French Republic, the jewels were inventoried, and, by a law passed December 10, 1886, it was decreed that a large part of the treasure should be sold at public auction. The sale was held in the Pavilion de Flore, a part of the Palace of the Tuileries, on May 12, 1887, and, very naturally, all the principal gem dealers and collectors were represented. A number of remarkable pearl ornaments were among the objects offered at this sale, one of the most beautiful being a diadem of an exceptionally artistic openwork design, adorned with large, round pearls and surmounted by a row of magnificent pear-shaped pearls. The total number of pearls in this diadem was 212, and their weight 2452 grains. It was sold for the sum of 78,000 francs ($15,600). The coronet which accompanied the diadem comprised 274 pearls, weighing 984 grains; the design was similar to that of the diadem, but the points consisted of a round and a pear-shaped pearl in alternation. This ornament realized the sum of 30,000 francs ($6000). A large brooch of very elaborate and beautiful design, beside a number of smaller pearls, comprised four fine, pear-shaped pendants, weighing 100 grains each, and two choice bouton pearls, and had in the center the famous pearl known as “La RÉgente,” which was purchased in 1811 for 40,000 francs ($8000). This splendid ornament brought the sum of 176,000 francs ($35,200). Four other brooches each contained seven pearls and many brilliants, the twenty-eight pearls having a total weight of 1496 grains, an average of more than fifty-three grains. Each brooch had two pearls surrounded with brilliants, and five large, pear-shaped pearls set as pendants. They were sold to different purchasers at prices ranging from 18,500 francs ($3700) to 43,000 francs ($8600), the four together realizing 113,500 francs ($22,700).

Six pearl necklaces were also offered. One of forty-seven pearls weighing 698 grains was sold for 34,600 francs ($6920), and two others, each consisting of fifty-eight pearls, with a total weight of 524 and 400 grains respectively, brought the sum of 22,300 francs ($4460) and 15,000 francs ($3000). Another necklace composed of thirty-eight round pearls and nine pear-shaped pendants, the total weight being 1612 grains, sold for 74,300 francs ($14,860). The two finest necklaces were broken up into a number of separate lots. One of them, consisting of 362 pearls and weighing in all 5808 grains,—an average of a trifle over sixteen grains,—was offered in four lots which together brought 295,800 francs ($59,160). The other necklace comprised 542 pearls weighing 6752 grains, and was disposed of in eight lots, realizing in all 331,800 francs ($66,360). Two bracelets adorned with 202 pearls and a number of small brilliants were purchased for the sum of 90,200 francs ($18,040). The total amount realized for the pearl ornaments was 1,261,500 francs ($252,300). There are several American ladies who own single strings of pearls which are of more value than the whole pearl parure of the Empress EugÉnie.

Pearl parure of the crown jewels of France, worn by the Empress EugÉnie, and sold at the Tuileries, May 12, 1887.

A diadem containing 212 pearls, weighing 2452 grains.

A coronet with 274 pearls, weighing 984 grains.

Four brooches, each containing four large pearls, two round, two pear-shaped, and three smaller ones, weighing in all 1496 grains.

A larger brooch comprising four large pear-shaped pearls, each weighing 100 grains. In the center is the pearl called “La RÉgente.”

Two necklaces each consisting of forty-seven pearls, with an aggregate weight of 698 and 1612 grains, respectively.

Two bracelets with 202 pearls, weighing 2000 grains.

Five buttons, three with nine and two with ten pearls.

A necklace of 542 pearls, weighing 6752 grains.

Another necklace of 362 pearls, weighing 5808 grains.

Two other necklaces, each containing fifty-eight pearls, the total weight being 400 and 524 grains, respectively.

SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL PEARL ORNAMENTS FORMING THE PEARL PARURE OF THE FRENCH CROWN JEWELS SOLD AT PALACE OF THE TUILERIES IN MAY, 1887
Designation No. of pearls Aggregate weight grains Amount rec’d francs
1 necklace 362 5,808 295,800
1 necklace 542 6,752 331,800
1 necklace 47 698 34,600
1 necklace 58 524 22,300
1 necklace 58 400 15,000
1 necklace 47 1,612 74,300
2 bracelets 202 2,000 90,200
1 large diadem 212 2,452 78,000
1 coronet 274 984 30,000
1 brooch 45 1,200 176,000
4 brooches 28 1,496 113,500



Total 1875 23,926 1,261,500

Imperial Austrian Schatzkammer. The weights and values of the great gathering of pearls of the imperial Austrian Schatzkammer were carefully estimated by one of the authors and by his friends, and it is the first attempted inventory ever published.[523]

The imperial crown of the Holy Roman Empire, preserved in the treasury of the imperial Burg at Vienna, and known as the crown of Charlemagne, has in front seventeen pearls weighing 424 grains, of which two weigh fifty-six grains each. The remaining fifteen pearls average 20.8 grains. The values of these pearls are as follows:

Base
$2.50 $5.00 $7.50
15 pearls, 20.8 grains $16,224 $32,448 $48,672
2 56–grain pearls 15,680 31,360 47,040



Total $31,904 $63,808 $95,712

THE IMPERIAL AUSTRIAN CROWN
Made by order of Emperor Rudolph II, in 1604

At the back of the crown there are eighteen pearls, weighing 180 grains. One of these has a weight of twenty-six grains; the remaining seventeen average 9.058 grains. The values estimated are as follows:

Base
$2.50 $5.00 $7.50
17 pearls, 9.058 grains $3,487.55 $6,975.10 $10,462.65
1 pearl of 26 grains 1,690.00 3,380.00 5,070.00



Total $5,177.55 $10,355.10 $15,532.65

The pearls in the cross surmounting the crown have a weight of thirty-six grains.

The imperial cross is profusely ornamented with pearls in front, while the back consists simply of silver-gilt. There are three strings of pearls in the front running in each direction. The total weight of the pearls is 4092 grains; one weighing sixty-four grains, and the smallest two grains.

The crucifix of the Golden Fleece is ornamented only in front with pearls; these have a weight of but 136 grains.

The imperial Austrian regalia, dating from the time of Emperor Rudolph II, are also in the imperial Burg; some of the emperor’s jewels were sold at auction in Prague in 1728.

The crown is adorned with two rows of pearls, weighing respectively 960 and 840 grains; between these rows are pearls having a total weight of 440 grains, while the ornaments and eight large drops weigh 2052 grains. The largest pearl on this crown weighs 104 grains. It is drop-shaped and belonged to Rudolph II; it is slightly uneven and the color, although white, is not that of a new pearl, but this pearl has a positive history of three hundred and six years, and at the present time is probably the oldest known unchanged pearl with a direct and authentic record.

The imperial orb is studded with pearls weighing in all 1560 grains. Four of these weigh forty grains each, the others are of lesser size, the smallest weighing ten grains. The scepter is adorned with pearls to the weight of 300 grains.

In addition to these insignia and regalia there are in the treasury two magnificent pearl necklaces, deposited by Empress Maria Theresa in 1765. The first consists of a single string of 114 large-sized pearls with the “Baden Solitaire,” a diamond of 30 carats, as a clasp. Three of these pearls weigh from 92 to 100 grains each, and the whole string has a total weight of 3400 grains. This would give us the following values, the pearls averaging 29.82 grains.

Base
$2.50 $253,432.12
5.00 506,864.24

The other necklace contains 121 pearls of a total weight of 3788 grains, arranged in three rows; these pearls average 31.3 grains, the largest weighing forty grains and the smallest ten grains. The necklace has a diamond clasp of 141/32 carats. The pearls are worth:

Base
$2.50 $296,450
5.00 592,900
7.50 889,350

Two bracelets with brilliant clasps, belonging to the same set, and consisting of 240 medium-sized pearls weighing 2800 grains and averaging 11? grains, have the following values:

Base
$2.50 $81,658.80
5.00 163,317.60
7.50 244,976.40

There is also a pendant of six pearls, weighing 300 grains and averaging fifty grains; these pearls are worth:

Base
$2.50 $37,500
5.00 75,000
7.50 112,500

Another necklace, bequeathed to the treasury by the late Empress Caroline Augusta, consists of eighty-six pearls disposed in two rows, the largest pearl weighing seventy-two grains and the smallest eight grains. The total weight is 2600 grains and the average, 30.2. This necklace is worth:

Base
$2.50 $196,088.60
5.00 392,177.20
7.50 588,265.80

Still another necklace is composed altogether of black pearls, of which there are thirty, the largest weighing forty-eight grains and the smallest ten. The total weight of this necklace is 1040 grains, an average of 34.66 grains for each pearl. On a base of $5 this necklace is worth $180,150.

The diamond crown of the empress bears pearls to the total weight of 2000 grains; among them are four weighing 100 grains each. These pearls alone, on a $5 base, would be worth $200,000.

THE GREAT SÉVIGNÉ OF THE FRENCH CROWN JEWELS
Containing “The Regent Pearl,” weighing 337 grains, and four pear-shaped pearls of 100 grains each; also 100 carats of diamonds

The total weight of the pearls in all these ornaments is 35,816 grains, equal to four and a half pounds, avoirdupois, and they are worth from $2,000,000 to $4,000,000.

The so-called crown of Charlemagne bears the inscription: “Chuonradus Rex Dei gratia Romanorum Imperator Aug.” It is believed to be a work of the twelfth century and originally the royal crown of Conrad III, king of the Germans (1093–1152), the first Hohenstaufen.[524] The arch is said to have been added to adapt this royal crown for use in the expected coronation of Conrad as emperor. He died, however, while making preparations for his journey to Rome.

The imperial vestments used in the coronation ceremonies of the Holy Roman Empire, were produced in the celebrated HÔtel de TirÂz, at Palermo. Roger II, King of Sicily (1096–1154), after a victorious campaign in Greece, brought back with him to Sicily a number of skilled silk-weavers and embroiderers, whom he established at Palermo. The imperial mantle is of a brilliant purple and bears an inscription, embroidered in gold and pearls, stating that the garment was made in the royal manufactory in the year 1133. Two pearl-embroidered representations of a lion, who has stricken down a camel and is about to tear it to pieces, also appear on this mantle. This symbol of royal power was used frequently by the Saracens, and it is said that Richard Coeur de Lion had this design embroidered on his saddlecloths.[525]

A fine collection of large baroque pearls is preserved in the GrÜne GewÖlbe (Green Vaults) in the palace at Dresden, which contains the treasures of the royal family of Saxony. Most of these were mounted during the eighteenth century by J. M. Dinglinger (1665–1731), the famous goldsmith to the Saxon Elector, King Augustus II of Poland, and who is sometimes called the German Cellini. A splendid specimen of his work is a vase of Egyptian jasper in the shape of a shell, bearing a representation of Hercules fighting with the NemÆan lion; this bears reference to the immense personal strength and power of Augustus II, whose portrait is painted in enamel on a mirror at the back. The pedestal is adorned with a great many precious stones, pearls, and enamel paintings in the shape of cameos representing the twelve labors of Hercules. A dragon is studded with emeralds and its back is formed of pearls, with a large sardonyx in the middle. Hercules and the lion are in enamel.

In the same collection may be seen the figure of a dwarf made by Ferbecq, who was one of the goldsmiths of King Augustus. The body of the dwarf is formed of a baroque pearl, which is studded with small diamonds. His sleeves and trousers are in black and green enamel; his hat is also of green enamel and on it is a string of diamonds. In his right hand the dwarf holds a spit and in his left a roast. On his left shoulder he bears a goose, the upper part of whose body is formed of a pearl; at his right side hangs a bottle also formed of a pearl. The gilded pedestal is ornamented with white enamel work on a pink ground. Above and below, it is set with white and yellow diamonds. Another figure, similarly formed of a large baroque pearl ornamented with gold and diamonds, shows a drunken vintager and his dog; and an exceedingly grotesque, ornamented baroque is said to bear a striking resemblance to SeÑor Pepe, the court dwarf of Charles II of Spain.

Exhibited at the Palace of Rosenberg at Copenhagen, are similar designs in which large baroques form the principal part of fish, birds, dragons, mermaids, etc. Prominent among them is the figure of a skater, executed by the jeweler, Diederichsen; it is said that this was made for Frederick VII, who died before it was accepted, and in 1895 it was presented to the museum.

A beautiful and costly figure of this nature was completed a year or two ago by the court jeweler, Alfred Dragsen, of Copenhagen. This is nearly four inches in height, and represents a female snake-charmer. A very long baroque pearl forms the body from the shoulders to the knees, and the head, arms, and the legs below the knees are of gold. The figure is ornamented with a diamond-studded garland, ruby necklace and earrings, and garters set with similar gems, a red enameled girdle ornamented with pearls, and golden anklets with black pearls. With a flute she charms a serpent twined about her body and grasped with the other hand.

What is said to be the finest collection of black pearls in all Europe is that belonging to the Duchess of Anhalt Dessau, Germany. It consists of three large caskets of black pearls that have taken a century to collect. It is traditional in the family that these pearls are never to be sold except as their last possession, since they know they will always find a purchaser.

A collection of pearls had been kept for many years in the Monte de Piedad of Mexico City, which it was claimed had been pawned by a friend of the Empress Carlotta, in order to provide her with money at the time of the assassination of Emperor Maximilian. These pearls were contained in a necklace and a pearl and diamond tiara, which were sewn upon cardboard covered with black velvet, and had the appearance of not having been disturbed for many years. The necklace consisted of old pearls, both of the so-called Madras and Panama varieties; in the center was a large diamond medallion from which pear-shaped pearls were suspended. It is believed that these pearls were part of Empress Carlotta’s marriage portion, and that they came from the Austrian crown jewel collection. None of them possessed much quality with the exception of one, a large pear-shaped pearl which was set at the base of the necklace and weighed eighty-four grains. The drilling of this pearl was of a very old style, being of that type in which a tube is inserted in the drill hole, through which a gold wire passes to hold the pearl; a diamond is then set at the base of the tube to disguise the drill mark. It is, however, possible that the pearl came from the East Indies, where large drill holes are usual.

MADAM NORDICA

The pearls were sent in bond to the United States as a collection, and then to Europe, where they were sold separately, the pear-shaped pearl appearing again in the New York market in 1906. There has been some doubt as to these really being Carlotta’s pearls, but the Mexican account is fairly consistent, and it satisfactorily disposes of the newspaper romance in which it was claimed that Carlotta had taken these pearls with her to Europe and that they had been buried in a casket in the Adriatic Sea.

Recent Auction Sales. In England and in France, more than in the United States, great auction sales of jewels are common. They are held in London, principally at Christie’s, originally a coffee house, established in 1880; and in Paris, at the HÔtel Drouot. Good prices are generally realized, as the buyers of the entire continent attend these great sales. The purchases are usually made by dealers who frequently do not neglect each other’s interests if private buyers are present. No matter how great may be the amount involved, no matter whether the collections consist of paintings, furniture, or jewels, there are always buyers, to a much greater extent than in the United States. The price for fine jewels may naturally vary a trifle in the different markets, according to the conditions of payment. It must evidently make an appreciable difference whether almost the entire amount is paid in cash or whether a credit of thirty days is extended, or one for a much longer period, in some countries for as long as one, two, or even three years.

While in the United States such sales of valuable jewels are very unusual, it has been a custom in England and in France for many years, in the settlement of estates, to sell not only the furniture, bric-À-brac, etc., but also the jewels. Sales of this kind are naturally calculated to attract not only the dealers, but also many rich collectors and connoisseurs, and as they are frequently widely advertised, and London and Paris are, at the most, but one to two days’ journey from all parts of Europe, many people attend, most of the private buyers being represented by their agents. By means of these sales many heirlooms, which have been handed down from generation to generation, often pass into the possession of strangers. In the matter of jewels, it has been frequently noticed that dealers are in the majority of cases the ultimate buyers, and it has also been inferred that when an outsider participates in the bidding, the prices are advanced to such an extent that it does not often appear profitable for him to buy in the face of such competition. All manner of people have had their estates disposed of in this way, and the list of these sales during the past twenty years is a striking one: royalty, nobility, merchants, and people in many other conditions of life find a place in it.

It is not an infrequent custom in London for solicitors to advance money on jewels, and when the payments are not forthcoming these jewels are sold. Hence, many sales appear at the larger auction rooms in which no name is given, the owners frequently being people of high degree.

On July 19, 1892, a necklace containing eighty-five graduated pearls of unusual size and quality, the property of the late H. W. F. Bolchow, M.P., was sold in London for the sum of £2500 ($12,500). Another necklace of 146 fine graduated pearls disposed in two rows, brought £2400 ($12,000); a single-row necklace of eighty-five pearls realized £1600 ($8000), and one of 118 pearls in two rows £1660 ($8300).

An exceptionally fine pearl necklace which belonged to her Grace the late Caroline, Duchess of Montrose, mother of the present Duke of Montrose, was sold at Christie’s on April 30, 1895. The necklace comprised 362 graduated pearls, arranged in seven rows of forty-four, forty-seven, forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty-two, fifty-eight, and sixty-four pearls, respectively. The amount realized for this ornament was £11,500 ($57,500).

On July 9, 1901, a pearl necklace, advertised as the property of “a French lady of rank,” and several other valuable pearl ornaments, were offered at Christie’s. It is supposed by many that these jewels belonged to Madame Humbert. The necklace was composed of six rows of graduated pearls consisting of fifty-five, sixty-one, sixty-seven, seventy-three, seventy-nine, and eighty-nine pearls, respectively, a total of 424, all of good color and luster. A London dealer considers that they owed their value mainly to skilful matching and fineness of color; they are perhaps a century old. As may be supposed, there were many bidders who competed eagerly for possession of this fine ornament, and it was at last adjudged for the sum of £20,000 ($100,000). While this was, up to that date, a record price in an auction room, it was by no means an exceptional figure for private sales; indeed, at about the time this necklace was sold, a London dealer disposed of another for £34,000 ($170,000).

A necklace, the property of the late Lady Matheson of the Lews, was sold at Christie’s, March 5, 1902. Well-matched and graduated round pearls, to the number of 233, were disposed in four rows, and strung with seed-pearls between. This necklace, which had been presented to Lady Matheson at the time of her marriage in 1843 by Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, Bart., brought the sum of £6800 ($34,000).

A pearl necklace, containing fifty-three fine and graduated pearls, was sold in London, June 9, 1902, for the sum of £2250 ($11,250). Another necklace of sixty-eight fine round pearls, one of which formed the clasp, brought £1580 ($7900). A beautiful pearl and brilliant pendant of open scroll design, with a large, round white pearl in the center, and a large, pear-shaped black pearl as drop, realized £800 ($4000), and a pearl collar of ten rows of round pearls brought £820 ($4100). A noteworthy offering at this sale was a rope of 135 pearls, an heirloom sold under the will of Lady Marianna Augusta Hamilton. These pearls had been given to Lady Augusta Anne Cockburn in 1769 on the occasion of her marriage to Sir James Cockburn, Bart., by her godmother, Augusta, Duchess of Brunswick, sister to George III. The rope was sold for £900 ($4500).

The pearls of Lady Dudley were sold at Christie’s on July 4, 1902. Among them was a magnificent necklace of forty-seven slightly graduated round pearls, of large size and unusually brilliant orient; their gross weight was 1090 grains. This necklace brought the sum of £22,200 ($111,000). A single pear-shaped pearl of the finest orient mounted with a diamond cap, as a pendant, and weighing 209 grains, was sold for £13,500 ($67,500). A rope of 222 graduated round pearls of the highest quality, weighing 2320 grains was purchased for £16,700 ($83,500), and a pearl and brilliant tiara brought £10,300 ($51,500). The entire casket of thirty-one lots realized £89,526 ($447,630).

At the sale of the jewels of Mlle. Wanda de Boncza, at the HÔtel Drouot, Paris, December 6, 1902, a fine necklace was disposed of for the sum of 150,000 francs ($30,000), and a rope of 100 small pearls realized 38,100 francs ($7620); the proceeds of the entire sale of these jewels were 1,249,578 francs ($249,915).

Among the Aqualia jewels, sold in London in 1903, was a pearl necklace that brought £4480 ($22,400).

The jewels of the late Marquis of Anglesey, an enthusiastic jewel and art collector, were disposed of at Christie’s on May 4 and 5, 1904. At the time of his death, the marquis was supposed to be a bankrupt, but the value of the gems which he had purchased had increased so rapidly that the sale realized the sum of £22,988 10s. ($114,942), more than enough to cover all the obligations of the estate. Of this amount a magnificent drop pearl, mounted as a scarf-pin, brought £4000 ($20,000); another drop pearl of the finest orient, weighing 105½ grains, but slightly cracked, was sold for £3700 ($18,500). Four other drop-shaped pearls, mounted as scarf-pins, were sold for £5220 ($26,100), one of them bringing £1720 ($8600). A single bouton pearl, used as a coat fastener, realized £980 ($4900), and a pearl trefoil was purchased for £580 ($2900). One fine large bouton pearl, set as a stud, was disposed of for £3000 ($15,000), and another somewhat smaller bouton, also set as a stud, brought £1600 ($8000).

A splendid necklace comprising forty-nine well-matched and graduated pearls of fine quality, weighing 563½ grains, was sold in London on June 29, 1905, for the sum of £4700 ($23,500). At the same sale a necklace of thirty-two graduated pearls, weighing about 890 grains, brought £2600 ($13,000).

On July 20, 1905, a pearl necklace comprising forty-five graduated pearls of fine orient, with a cabochon ruby clasp, the gross weight being 832 grains, was sold in London for £3150 ($15,750).

A fine pearl and brilliant pendant was disposed of at the sale in London, February 21, 1906, of the stock of Mr. E. M. Marcoso. This pendant was composed of one large white brilliant, weighing 181/32 carats, and a drop-shaped pearl weighing 75¾ grains. The ornament brought the sum of £2050 ($10,250).

A pearl necklace composed of 285 well-matched and graduated pearls disposed in five rows was sold in London on June 13, 1906, for the sum of £10,000 ($50,000). At the same sale a three-row necklace, with 213 graduated and matched pearls of fine orient, brought £3200 ($16,000), and a rope of 237 fine pearls realized £2800 ($14,000).

Among the jewels disposed of at a sale in London on July 11, 1906, may be mentioned a five-row pearl necklace of 445 graduated oriental pearls which was sold for £2500 ($12,500). Three other necklaces were offered at the same sale; one of fifty-five matched and graduated pearls of fine quality bringing £3400 ($17,000); one of fifty-seven pearls, £2700 ($13,500), and the other of 219 well-matched and graduated pearls realizing £2350 ($11,750). Still another necklace of 417 matched and graduated pearls arranged in five rows was sold for £4800 ($24,000). A splendid pearl drop, of the finest orient, brought £1650 ($8250), and a pearl rope of 191 oriental pearls, arranged so as to form three single-row necklaces, realized the sum of £3700 ($18,500), three fine black pearls, mounted as studs, were sold for £1000 ($5000). The most important necklace was reserved for the end of the sale; this was composed of forty-seven large oriental pearls, and was purchased for the sum of £10,000 ($50,000).

At the sale of the Massey-Mainwaring collection at Christie’s on March 18, 1907, a five-row pearl necklace consisting of 471 graduated pearls, with a bouton pearl in the center, was sold for £4600 ($23,000).

Another collection, sold at Christie’s, April 15, 1907, was the property of the late Mrs. Lewis-Hill, and the proceeds of the first day’s sale reached the heretofore unapproached total of £94,805 ($474,025), thus exceeding by $26,395 the amount obtained in one day by the sale of Lady Dudley’s jewels. Among the valuable pearls in this collection, we may mention a pair of large bouton pearl earrings, with small diamond tops, which brought £1180 ($5900). The enthusiasm and interest of the assembly were aroused by a necklace of forty-five large, graduated pearls of fine orient, with a bouton pearl and brilliant cluster snap; after spirited bidding this was bought for £6100 ($30,500). The greatest event of the day, however, was the appearance of a splendid rope of 229 pearls of very good form, well-matched and graduated. The opening bid was £10,000 ($50,000) and after a warm contest the pearls were finally acquired for the sum of £16,700 ($83,500). A necklace consisting of fifteen graduated drops, each formed of one bouton pearl, one brilliant, and one pear-shaped pearl drop, depending from a narrow band of small diamonds, drew forth a bid of £5000 ($25,000) and was finally awarded for the sum of £12,200 ($61,000). A pearl rope of 183 graduated and well-matched pearls realized £7200 ($36,000), and a fine pair of pearls set as earrings brought £3400 ($17,000). The crowded auction room, the keen competition among the bidders, and the amount obtained for these jewels are good indications of the firmness of the market at the present time.

Copyright, 1907, by Theo. C. Marceau, N. Y.
MRS. GEORGE J. GOULD

At the sale of the jewels of Lady Henry Gordon-Lennox, held at Christie’s on May 12, 1907, a splendid necklace was offered. It comprised 287 graduated pearls of the finest orient, disposed in five rows, with a large circular pearl. This magnificent ornament was sold for £25,500 ($127,500).

On July 11, 1907, a splendid necklace of forty-nine graduated pearls, of fine luster and carefully matched, was sold at auction by Debenham and Storr of London, for the sum of £5600 ($28,000). At the same sale a single-row necklace of forty-five pearls brought £5300 ($26,500), and a rope of oriental pearls realized £4500 ($22,500).

At the auction sale of the collection of the late Bishop Bubics of Hungary, among other objects, a very handsome saber pouch was offered, of the style worn by the Hungarian hussars. It was of green silk and richly embroidered with hundreds of pearls of varying sizes. After a spirited competition this pouch was sold to Prince Esterhazy for 13,500 crowns ($2700). Some time after the sale a letter from the late bishop was found, containing the statement that he had borrowed the ornament from the jewel-room of the Princess Esterhazy. Naturally, Prince Esterhazy was not called upon to pay the amount of his bid. It is a gratification to know that at least one of the remarkable Magyar jeweled ornaments has escaped the cupidity of enterprising jewelers who have broken up so many of these ornaments for the gems which they contained.

A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL GREAT PEARLS OF HISTORY
Weight
Charles the Bold’s Pearls. Three, each about 60 grains
Gomara Pearl, 31 carats 124 grains
Oviedo Pearl, 26 carats
(probably the Morales or Pizarro Pearl) 104 grains
La Peregrina 134 grains
Charles II’s Pearl, (nearly equal to La Peregrina)
Morales and Pizarro Pearl, 26 carats 104 grains
Rudolph II’s Pearl, 30 carats 120 grains
Tavernier’s Pearls:
Shah Sofi’s Pearl (estimated) 500 grains
Imam of Muscat’s Pearl, 121/16 carats 48¼ grains
Shaista Khan Pearl, 55 carats 220 grains
Great Mogul’s Pearls:
Peacock Throne Pearl 200 grains
Two pear-shaped, one about 70 ratis 186.2 grains
Olive-shaped pearl (estimated) 125 grains
One button-shaped, 55–60 ratis 146.3–159.6 grains
One round pearl, 56 ratis (gift of the Shah Abbas II) 148.9 grains
Round pearl (estimated)[526] 110 grains
Three yellowish pearls, 25–28 ratis 66.5–74.5 grains
One perfectly round pearl, 35½ ratis 94½ grains
Two perfectly shaped and equal, each 25¼ ratis 67.1 grains
La Reine des Perles 109¼ grains
Pearls of Maria Theresa’s Necklace (three) 92–100 grains
La RÉgente (now owned by Princess Yousoupoff) 337 grains
La Pellegrina 111½ grains
The Ynaffit, pear-shaped 143? grains
Hope Pearl, drop-shaped baroque 1800 grains
Also in the Hope Collection:
Conical pearl 151 grains
Bouton pearl 124 grains
Oval pearl 94 grains
Roughly spherical pearl 89 grains
Acorn-shaped pearl 85 grains
Oval conch pearl 82¼ grains
Button-shaped conch pearl 77½ grains
Drop-shaped pearl 76½ grains
Pear-shaped Scotch pearl 34¾ grains
Van Buren Pearls:
Two, each about 30 grains
Also necklace 148 pearls 700 grains
Tiffany Queen Pearl, American 93 grains
Black bouton earring-pearl 88 grains
White bouton earring-pearl 93 grains
Bapst Pearls, two 113¼ and 113¾ grains
Round pearl of Paris Exposition of 1889 70 grains
Mme. Nordica’s Pearl (abalone) 175 grains
Great Bahama Conch Pearl 138¼ grains
The Queen Conch Pearl 90 grains
W. H. Moore’s Pearl (Arkansas pearl, brown) 122½ grains
Shark’s Bay Pearl, golden yellow 30½ grains
Rudolph II Crown Pearl, 26 carats 104 grains
Carlotta’s Pearl, pear-shaped 84 grains
Marquis of Anglesey’s Pearl, drop-shaped 105½ grains
Black pear-shaped pearl (Lower California) 49 grains
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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