4 5.28— 6.72 6.72— 8.40
5 8.40— 10.80 9.60— 12.00
6 13.20— 15.60 16.80— 19.20
8 21.60— 26.40 24.00— 28.80
10 38.40— 43.20 48.00— 52.80
12 57.60— 72.00 67.20— 76.80
14 72.00— 86.40 86.40— 96.00
16 96.00—144.00 96.00—144.00
18 144.00—192.00 144.00—192.00
20 192.00—240.00 192.00—240.00
24 288.00—345.60 288.00—345.60
30 384.00—480.00 384.00—480.00
The following values appear in the “Encyclopedia Hispano-Americana,”
Barcelona, 1894, Vol. XV, p. 180 (Louis Dieulafait):
Grains Value, 1865 Value, 1867
Pesetas U. S. currency Pesetas U. S. currency
3 17— 18 $3.40— $3.60 21— 23 $4.20— $4.60
4 25— 32 5.00— 6.40 32— 40 6.40— 8.00
5 41— 52 8.20— 10.40 46— 58 9.20— 11.60
6 64— 75 12.80— 15.00 81— 93 16.20— 18.60
8 104— 128 20.80— 25.60 116— 139 23.20— 27.80
10 202— 227 40.40— 45.40 252— 277 50.40— 55.40
12 302— 378 60.40— 75.60 352— 403 70.40— 80.60
14 378— 453 75.60— 90.60 455— 504 91.00—100.80
16 504— 756 100.80—151.20 504— 756 100.80—151.20
18 756—1005 151.20—201.00 756—1005 151.20—201.00
20 1005—1260 201.00—252.00 1005—1260 201.00—252.00
24 1512—1815 302.40—363.00 1512—1815 302.40—363.00
30 2117—2521 423.40—504.20 2117—2521 423.40—504.20
COMPARATIVE STATEMENT SHOWING THE VALUES OF PEARLS AT STATED TIMES
Weight 1609[390] 1672[391] 1675[392] 1751[393] 1774[394] 1791[395]
Grains Thal. Kreutz. Livres £ s £ s £ s Lire
1 0 13 0 ½ 0 1 0 ⅓ 1½
2 0 52 2 0 2 0 4 0 2 6
3 1 47 5 0 6 0 9 0 7½ 13½
4 3 0 10 0 12 0 16 0 18 24
5 4 48 18 1 5 1 5 1 10 37½
6 6 52 28 2 10 1 16 2 5 54
7 9 13 38 4 10 2 9 3 1 73½
8 12 0 55 6 0 3 4 4 10 96
9 15 23 75 8 0 4 1 6 0 121½
10 18 52 100 10 0 5 0 8 5 150
11 22 48 130 12 0 6 1 9 15 242
12 27 175 14 0 7 4 288
13 31 48 16 0 8 9 13 15 338
14 36 52 270 18 0 9 16 392
15 42 13 21 10 11 5 21 0 450
16 48 380 25 0 12 16 512
17 54 13 30 0 14 9 27 10 578
18 60 52 500 35 0 16 4 648
19 67 48 37 10 18 1 722
20 75 650 40 0 20 0 37 10 800
22 90 52 50 0 24 4 52 10 1210
24 108 60 0 28 16 82 10 1440
26 126 52 33 16 99 0 1690
28 147 39 14 150 0 1960
32 192 51 4 225 0 2560
36 243 64 16 262 10 3240
40 300 80 0 300 0 4000
45 506 17 101 5 5062½
50 625 125 0 6250
60 900 180 0 9000
70 1225 245 0 12250
80 1600 320 0 16000
90 2025 405 0 20250
100 2500 500 0 25000
COMPARATIVE STATEMENT SHOWING THE VALUES OF PEARLS AT
STATED TIMES, REDUCED TO UNITED STATES CURRENCY
Weight Grains 1609 1672 1675 1751 1774 1791
1 $0.20 $0.12 $0.24 $0.09 $0.30
2 0.81 $0.80 0.48 0.96 0.50 1.20
3 1.82 1.90 1.44 2.16 1.87 2.70
4 3.24 3.80 2.88 3.84 4.50 4.80
5 5.06 6.84 6.00 6.00 7.50 7.50
6 7.28 10.64 12.00 8.64 11.25 10.80
7 10.92 14.44 21.60 11.76 15.25 14.70
8 12.96 20.90 28.80 15.36 22.50 19.20
9 16.40 28.50 38.40 19.44 30.00 24.30
10 20.25 38.00 48.00 24.00 41.25 30.00
11 24.50 49.40 57.60 29.04 48.75 48.40
12 29.16 66.50 67.20 34.56 57.60
13 34.22 76.80 40.56 68.75 67.60
14 39.69 102.60 86.40 47.04 78.40
15 45.56 103.20 54.00 105.00 90.00
16 51.84 144.40 120.00 61.44 102.40
17 58.52 144.00 60.36 137.50 115.60
18 65.61 190.00 168.00 77.76 129.60
19 73.10 180.00 86.64 144.40
20 81.00 247.00 192.00 96.00 187.50 160.00
22 98.01 240.00 116.16 262.50 242.00
24 116.64 288.00 138.24 412.50 288.00
26 136.89 162.24 495.00 338.00
28 158.76 188.16 750.00 392.00
32 207.36 245.76 1125.00 512.00
36 262.44 311.04 1312.50 648.00
40 324.00 384.00 1500.00 800.00
45 546.75 486.00 1012.50
50 675.00 600.00 1250.00
60 972.00 864.00 1800.00
70 1323.00 1176.00 2450.00
80 1728.00 1536.00 3200.00
90 2187.00 1944.00 4050.00
100 2700.00 2400.00 5000.00
Giving the pearl values in 1867, Emanuel[396] says: “It would be almost
useless to give any value for drop pearls, as when of large size and
fine quality they are of so rare occurrence as to command fancy prices;
still, as a slight guide, it may be mentioned that perfect white drop
pearls, of 80 to 100 grains, may be estimated at from £7 to £11
[$35–$55] per grain; those of 50 to 80 grains at from £4 to £7 [$20–$35]
per grain, and those of 30 to 50 grains at from £3–£5 [$15–$25] per
grain; smaller sizes bring from 20s. to 60s. [$5–$15] per grain.”
Emanuel also states that misshapen pieces called “baroque pearls”
(_perles baroques_), are sold by the ounce, the price varying from £10
to £200 ($50–$1000) per ounce, depending on quality, color, and size.
PRICES IN NEW YORK CITY IN 1878
Grains Value per grain Total value
1 $1.00 $1.00
2 1.83 3.66
3 2.75 8.25
4 3.60 14.40
5 4.03 20.15
6 4.69 28.14
7 6.32 44.24
8 6.87 54.96
9 7.42 66.78
10 8.25 82.50
11 9.62 105.82
12 10.45 125.40
13 11.68 151.84
14 12.55 175.70
15 14.20 213.00
20 19.70 394.00
24 24.75 594.00
HALF-PEARLS
I QUALITY. PER HUNDRED
Diameter
Size No. Millimeters Inches 1873 1876 1878 1885 1908
4 $1.10 $0.85 $0.50 $1.55
5 1.20 .047 1.35 $0.70 1.00 .60 1.95
6 1.22 .048 1.80 .90 1.35 .70 2.90
7 1.24 .049 2.25 1.10 1.70 1.12 3.88
8 1.26 .049 2.70 1.35 2.00 1.80 5.27
9 1.28 .050 3.35 1.80 2.50 2.00 6.65
10 1.80 .071 4.50 2.25 3.40 3.00 9.15
11 1.83 .072 5.60 2.70 4.20 4.00 11.36
12 1.86 .073 8.00 3.35 5.90 5.00 13.86
13 1.90 .075 9.00 4.50 6.75 5.75 15.51
14 2.00 .078 11.00 5.60 8.40 6.75 17.50
15 2.10 .082 14.00 8.00 10.00 8.25 20.80
16 2.25 .088 17.00 9.00 12.50 10.50 25.00
17 2.40 .094 19.00 11.00 14.00 12.00 30.50
18 2.60 .102 23.00 14.00 17.00 14.50 37.40
19 2.75 .108 28.00 17.00 21.00 16.25 48.50
20 2.90 .114 33.00 19.00 24.00 18.25 61.00
22 3.05 .120 42.00 28.00 31.00 33.00
24 3.15 .124 53.00 38.00 39.00 48.00
26 3.30 .130 67.00 45.00 50.00 69.00
28 3.55 .140 101.00 56.00 75.00 98.00
30 3.90 .153 124.00 79.00 92.00 150.00
HALF PEARLS
II QUALITY. PER HUNDRED
Size No. 1873 1876 1878 1885 1908
4 $0.55 $0.45 $0.30 $0.84
5 .70 $0.35 .50 .35 1.22
6 .90 .45 .70 .50 1.87
7 1.10 .55 .85 .80 3.05
8 1.35 .70 1.00 1.05 4.43
9 1.80 .90 1.35 1.45 5.82
10 2.25 1.10 1.70 1.80 8.32
11 3.35 1.35 2.50 2.60 10.53
12 4.00 1.80 3.00 3.00 12.75
13 4.50 2.25 3.40 3.75 14.41
14 5.60 3.35 4.20 4.25 15.51
15 6.75 4.00 5.00 4.75 18.00
16 9.00 4.50 6.75 5.25 20.80
17 10.00 5.60 7.50 6.00 26.35
18 11.00 6.75 8.40 7.00 31.90
19 14.00 9.00 10.00 7.75 41.60
20 17.00 10.00 12.50 8.75 52.70
22 20.00 14.00 15.00
24 27.00 19.00 20.00
26 34.00 23.00 25.00
28 51.00 28.00 38.00
30 62.00 40.00 46.00
HALF PEARLS
III QUALITY. PER HUNDRED
Size No. 1876 1907 Size No. 1876 1908
4 $0.47 15 2.70 8.93
5 $0.25 .70 16 3.35 11.20
6 .35 1.11 17 4.00 13.90
7 .40 1.94 18 4.50 18.00
8 .45 2.77 19 5.60 22.20
9 .70 3.86 20 6.75 27.75
10 .80 4.99 22 9.00 40.00
11 .90 5.82 24 14.00 75.00
12 1.10 6.65 26 17.00 85.00
13 1.60 7.48 28 19.00 100.00
14 2.25 8.32 30 28.00 200.00
VALUE OF IRREGULAR PEARLS IN 1774[397]
Pearls to the Value in English money Equivalent in Average for
ounce U. S. currency each pearl
£ s.
500 3 0 $15.00 $0.03
300 6 0 30.00 .10
150 11 2 55.50 .37
100 18 0 90.00 .90
60 33 15 168.75 2.81
30 75 0 375.00 12.50
The following values for the smaller oriental pearls are given in the
“Museum Brittanicum” of John and Andrew van Rymsdyck, 1778, p. 9.
No. to the ounce Rix dollars Equivalent in U. Average for each
S. currency pearl
200 70 $75.60 $0.378
300 50 54.00 .18
900 10 10.80 .012
2000 3 4.24 .00212
4000 2½ 2.70 .006755
8000 } 2 2.16 { .00027
10,000 } { .000216
Pio Naldi’s treatise of 1791 gives the following rule for estimating the
value of small, round pearls, weighing less than one carat or four
grains. As the carat value of four such pearls is given as five lire and
576 one-grain pearls were counted as one ounce, these two numbers were
used to determine the value of an ounce of small pearls. The product of
576 multiplied by 5 is 2880, and this number was then divided by 2000,
1000, 500, or whatever might be the number of pearls in a given ounce.
If there were 2000 pearls, the carat value would be 1.44 lire or $.29;
if there were 1000, the carat would be worth 2.88 lire or $.57; if 500,
5.76 lire or $1.15, etc.
[Illustration:
HALF-PEARLS: LOTS OF THREE DIFFERENT SIZES.
BROOCH OF HALF-PEARLS AND ONYX. UNITED STATES, 1860
]
The same author[398] gives tables expressing the values of pearls not
perfectly spherical in form, which he designates as “perle dolce.” These
pearls he considers to be worth half the price of good round pearls;
that is to say, 2½ lire (about $.50) per carat for four weighing
together one carat. Where there are as many as three thousand of these
“perle dolce” in an ounce, the 2½ lire base is multiplied by 576, the
number of grains given to the ounce; this makes the value of an ounce of
one-grain pearls $288. This amount is then divided by 3000, and the
quotient, $.096, represents the value of one carat of these small
pearls. Multiplying this by 144 we obtain, as the value of an ounce of
such pearls, $13.82. An ounce consisting of two thousand would be worth
$20.73, while if there were but one hundred to the ounce it would be
valued at $414.72, or $4.15 for each pearl and $.72 per grain of weight.
In this latter case the pearls would average 5¾ grains. Another class of
pearls denominated by this author as “scaramazzi,” pearls of an
irregular form and with protuberances, are estimated in a similar way,
but at exactly half of the above values. The baroque pearls were not
considered to be worth even half as much as the “scaramazzi.”
Scotch pearls (fresh-water) are mentioned by De Boot (1609, p. 88 _sq._)
among the other western pearls—Bohemian, etc. He remarks that they were
valued much less than the oriental pearls, but if they were of
especially pure color their value was greater, although they lacked the
silvery hue characteristic of the eastern pearl. Fine pearls of this
sort were valued on a carat base of one fourth of a thaler ($.27), so
that a forty-grain pearl was worth $27, and one of eighty grains, $108.
The author of the Bologna treatise, “Delle Gemme,” 1791, attributes the
lack of luster in the Scotch pearls to the presence of a dark mass in
the interior which interfered with the passage of light. He estimates
Scotch pearls to be worth one half the value of oriental pearls of
mediocre quality, provided the former are fairly good.
A Scotch writer of the seventeenth century is more enthusiastic in
regard to these pearls; he mentions having paid one hundred rix dollars
for an exceptionally fine one, but he does not specify its weight. This
is the value given by De Boot for a pearl of this class weighing eighty
grains, as we have just mentioned. The Scotch writer asserts that he
could never sell a necklace of fine Scotch pearls in Scotland itself, as
every one wanted oriental pearls; he continues: “At this very day I can
show some of our own Scots Pearls as fine, more hard and transparent
than any Oriental. It is true that the Oriental can be easier matched,
because they are all of a yellow water, yet foreigners covet Scots
Pearls.”
In Ceylon[399] and India, pearl-grading and valuing has received close
attention, and an elaborate system has been evolved by the pearl
merchants. This system has been in use for generations and possibly for
centuries. Although apparently very complicated, it is in reality quite
simple, if we only remember that the value of inferior pearls is
determined by their weight, whereas the value of superior pearls is
computed from the square of their weight.
The pearls are first grouped according to the size, of which ten grades
are made. This is done by passing them successively through ten brass
saucer-like sieves or baskets (_peddi_), each about three and a half
inches in diameter and one inch deep. The holes in the bottom of each
sieve are of uniform size, but they are graduated in size for the
different baskets. The pearls are sifted in the basket with the largest
holes, and those which will not pass through are of the first size. The
pearls which pass through are then sifted in the second basket, and
those retained are of the second size; and so on through the entire
series of ten sieves or baskets. Those which pass through the tenth
sieve are known as _masi-túl_, or powder pearls; they are of little
value owing to their very small size, and are not subject to further
classification. Of course, the attached pearls or very irregular
baroques—the _oddumuttu_—are not subject to the sifting process, and are
valued independently of this.
Sometimes in India, as well as in western countries, false measures are
used, and an oriental pearl merchant may have one set of sieves for use
in buying and another for selling. The rule for determining the proper
size of the holes in the first sieve is that they may pass pearls
weighing 20 to the _kalan̄chǔ_, whence this sieve is commonly known as
the “20 _peddi_.” The second sieve is the “30 _peddi_,” since it passes
pearls weighing 30 to the _kalan̄chǔ_. In the proper order the other
sieves respectively pass pearls requiring 50, 80, 100, 200, 400, 600,
800, and 1000 to the _kalan̄chǔ_.
This use of sieves for grading the Ceylon pearls was mentioned by
Cleandro Arnobio, a writer of the latter part of the sixteenth century,
in his “Tesoro delle Gioie,” and he took his description from an older
writer, Garzia dell’ Horto.
After the sifting, each of the ten graded lots of pearls are placed on
pieces of cloth for classification as to quality, shape, and luster.
This classification requires much skill and judgment on the part of the
valuer. Not only will two persons commonly fail to class a large lot of
pearls exactly alike, but one person is not likely to class the same lot
twice in precisely the same manner.
[Illustration:
A. B. Pearl nose rings. Baroda, India.
C. East Indian earring of strings of pearls and table diamonds.
Collection of Edmund Russell, Esq.
D. E. Grape pendants. Oriental pearls.
]
From long established custom, recognition is made of twelve classes into
which the ten grades or sizes of pearls are divided with respect to
shape and luster, the local names of these classes giving a fair
indication of their respective characteristics. These names are:
1 _Ani_, “best”: perfect in sphericity and luster, the true orient
pearl.
2 _Anatári_, “follower”: failing slightly in sphericity and luster.
3 _Masanku_ or _Masaku_: badly colored pearls, usually gray,
symmetrical, and with luster.
4 _Kaiyéral_, “the clasp of a necklace”: a dark-colored treble pearl,
not quite round.
5 _Machchakai._
6 _Vadivu_, “beauty,” also “decreasing”: that which is strained or
sifted; found in the 100, 200, and 400 sieves. These small
pearls, regular in shape, and of good luster, are especially
favored in the East.
7 _Madanku_, “folded,” or “bent”: all pearls of _vadivu_ size that
are imperfect in form or color.
8 _Kǔrǔval_, “short”: deformed and double pearls; they may, however,
be of excellent luster. _Ani Kǔrǔval_: where two _áni_ are fused
together, but so formed that if separate they would be perfectly
spherical. _Písal Kǔrǔval_: where several pearls of good luster
and color are fused partially and irregularly together. _Pampara
Kǔrǔval_: a pearl grooved regularly, like a top.
9 _Kalippu_, “abundance,” or “rejected”: inferior to _Anatári_; a
good pearl, may be lens-shaped or elongated; usually flattened.
10 _Písal_, “torn”: a deformed pearl or cluster of small misshapen
pearls; of poor color and of little value.
11 _Kurál_: very misshapen and small.
12 _Túl_, “powder”: the seed-pearls, those retained by the 600, 800,
and 1000 sieves.
In addition to the above designations, the following are also used:
_Samadiam_: a pearl of a reddish hue; pear-shaped but of dull color.
_Nimelai_: a nose-pearl, perfect skinned, and pear- or egg-shaped.
_Sirippu_: a pearl grooved with irregular wrinkle-like furrows.
_Kodai_, “brown”: like a nut, with no nacreous luster; formed of
prismatic shell; may be large, is usually spherical, and includes
pearls of various colors. This name is also used for white pearls
with black or brown marks. _Van Kodai_: a _kodai_ pearl with one
side nacreous. _Karunk Kodai_: a black or blue-black slag-like
pearl.
_Masi-túl_, “ink-dust,” or “chalk-powder”: smaller than the 1000
sieve. Generally used for medicinal purposes, or burnt and eaten
with areca-nut and betel by the natives.
_Oddu_—or _Ottumuttu_, “shell-pearl”: an attached pearl or nacreous
excrescence on the outside of the shell.
Of the twelve classes named above, the first four are known as the
_chevvǔ_, or superior classes; the next three as the _vadivu_, or
beautiful classes; and the last five as the _kalan̄chǔ_, or inferior
classes. The _chevvǔ_ pearls are found only in the first four sieves or
baskets; and for this reason these are known as the _chevvǔ peddi_ or
“chevvǔ baskets,” although they may also retain inferior pearls. A name
used to indicate the class of pearls found in the first four sieves is
_mel_ or _melmuttu_, “upper” or “superior pearl,” while _vadivu_
designates those retained by the next three and _túl_ those of the last
three.
After the pearls have been graded according to size and classified
according to quality, they are weighed. The unit of weight is the
_manchádi_, the seed of _Abrus precatorius_, a small, red berry of
practically uniform weight when ripe. H. W. Gillman of the Ceylon Civil
Service reports the weight of the _man̄chádi_ to be 3.35 grains troy.
Fractional parts of a unit are obtained by using a berry called
_kundumani_, grains of rice, etc., whose weights have been determined
beforehand. A brass weight—the _kalan̄chǔ_—is also employed; it equals
67 grains or 20 _man̄chádi_.
However, choice pearls—those of the superior classes—are not valued in
this manner, but at so much per _chevvǔ_ of their weight, which is three
fourths of the square of the weight in _man̄chádi_. Thus, to find the
value of an _anatári_ pearl in the second sieve, if the weight be found
to be three _man̄chádi_, three fourths of the square of three, or 6¾, is
multiplied by the base value of the _anatári_ class.
The actual process of the calculation of value is as follows: owing to
the small size of the pearls, many fractions enter into the
computations; to preserve uniformity it is customary to increase all
fractions so that each may have 320 as a denominator, this being a
common multiple of those that ordinarily arise in _chevvǔ_ calculations.
The weight in _man̄chádi_ of the pearls is increased to a fractional
figure having 320 as a denominator. Three fourths of the square of the
numerator of this fraction is divided by the number of pearls, and this
quotient is divided twice consecutively by 320, giving the _chevvǔ_ of
the weight. The market value then follows from the quoted price of the
pearls per _chevvǔ_ at the time.
In actual practice, these computations are not made; but each merchant
provides himself with sets of tables showing the calculations for
different weights, analogous to the use of interest tables by bankers,
or of tables of logarithms by surveyors. Some of the merchants commit
these tables to memory, and at times may be heard reciting them quietly
to themselves to refresh the memory.
If a pearl of a particular grade and class is of exceptional merit, the
merchant adds somewhat to the money value computed by the above process.
This applies especially to double pearls of the _kǔrǔval_ class, which
sometimes consist of two fine bouton pearls suitable for setting, but
not for stringing.
Pearls of one of the inferior or _kalan̄chǔ_ classes are valued by
simple weight, at so much per _kalan̄chǔ_, the market price, of course,
differing for pearls of the various classes. The weight having been
ascertained, each in its class as before noted, the value is determined
by multiplying that weight by the current market price per unit of such
pearls, at so many rupees per _kalan̄chǔ_.
[Illustration:
NECKLACE CONTAINING 126,000 SEED-PEARLS. LOUIS XVI PERIOD
Property of an American lady
]
The star pagoda is used in calculating the values. This small gold coin
was current in south India in the early part of the last century. In the
computations it is considered to be worth three and a half rupees,
although its intrinsic value as a gold coin is about six rupees.
It is considered probable that the London syndicate,[400] which has
lately leased the Ceylon pearl fisheries for a period of twenty years,
will do away with the complicated calculations employed for so many
generations, surviving all changes of administration, Portuguese, Dutch,
and British. This is only one of the many instances showing the tendency
of the British Government to abolish time-honored usages in India,
without regard to the wishes of its population; and, unimportant as many
of these changes may seem to us, they all serve to foster a spirit of
discontent that may lead to serious trouble. This conduct on the part of
Great Britain is all the stranger in view of the stubborn opposition of
that country to the adoption of the scientific and logical metric
system.
In Bombay, the weight of pearls in tanks is made the basis of their
valuation; the tank equals 24 ratti or about 72 grains troy. The square
of the number of tanks is multiplied by 330 and the quotient divided by
the number of pearls; this gives the number of _chevvǔs_, or _chows_, as
they are sometimes called, and the market price of the _chevvǔs_ for a
given class of pearls shows their value. If, for instance, we have 56
pearls of a certain quality, weighing 5 tanks, and the _chevvǔs_ of
these pearls is worth 14 rupees, the sum would be as follows:
5 × 5 × 330 × 14
———————————————— = 2062.5 rupees, or about $825.
56
In this case, as in the other system of weighing which we have
mentioned, the _chevvǔs_ is only a nominal weight; but there is in India
a real weight unit which bears this name.[401]
The high esteem in which the pearl was held by the Hindus is well
illustrated by the following statement from an old treatise on gems: “A
pearl weighing two kalan̄jas (about 180 grains) should not be worn even
by kings. It is for the gods, it is without equal.”[402]
An interesting account of a great savant’s experience, in the early part
of the sixteenth century, regarding the value of pearls, is given by
Guillaume Budé[403] (1467–1540), the celebrated French Hellenist who
lived during the reign of Francis I and who is regarded as the founder
of the College de France. In his work entitled “De Asse,” he states that
he once inquired of a gem dealer in Paris whether the latter could
recall the weight of some remarkable pearl which had passed through his
hands. The dealer replied that he had seen one weighing 30 carats (120
grains), whereupon another gem dealer, who was present, remarked that he
had in his possession one of 40 carats (160 grains). This pearl was sold
a few days later for 3000 gold crowns ($6750). On another occasion Budé
was told that a pearl of exquisite beauty weighing 30 carats, had been
sold to the Duchesse de Bourbon, daughter of Louis XI of France, for the
sum of 4000 gold crowns ($9000).
In regard to the manner of computing the value of pearls Budé writes: “I
think the ratio of these prices can be calculated. When I asked a gem
dealer what was the value of a pearl of four carats [sixteen grains],
according to the formula, he replied: ‘I have seen such a pearl sell for
thirty gold crowns [$67.50].’ Whereupon I asked: ‘How much would you
estimate one weighing eight carats [thirty-two grains]?’ ‘At least two
hundred gold crowns [$450],’ he answered; and as I continued to ply him
with questions, gradually increasing the weight, he responded in such a
way that I could understand that the increase of the price bore not a
numerical, but a proportional relation to the weight; so that the above
mentioned eight-carat pearl, having double the weight of a four-carat
pearl, was valued at seven times as much. The same was true of a pearl
weighing twelve carats, twenty carats, and so on; the price augmenting
by a greater and greater increment as the weight increased.”
In the “Coronae Gemma Noblissima” of Wilhelmus Eo (1621, pp. 32, 33), an
instance is given of the rapid changes that are possible in the worth of
a pearl. A large and beautiful pearl was brought to Nuremberg by a
merchant who had paid 500 florins for it; he soon found a purchaser
among the merchants there, who was willing to pay him 800 florins. This
latter merchant in his turn disposed of his gem for 1000 florins, and
shortly after it again changed hands twice, the first time at an advance
of 200 florins and the second at an advance of 300 florins. All this
happened within a few days. The writer tells us that the last purchaser,
who paid 1500 florins for the pearl, took it with him to Venice “where
the wealthy dames wear a great treasure of beautiful pearls as necklaces
upon their bare skin, and he will not have lost anything on his pearl
there.”
In 1884, Mr. Edwin Streeter was asked by a member of a London syndicate
to proceed to the East, to value a large quantity of jewels, as a heavy
sum of money was about to be advanced to a certain Power, to provide the
sinews of war. On his way he was requested to stop at one of the
principal towns in Germany to purchase some jewels which had been valued
for probate but were not easy of sale in that market. The valuation
paper was shown to him, and after examining the ornaments, he agreed to
take them at the prices named. Among them was an old gold brooch of
Russian manufacture, valued at £4; in the center of this brooch was what
appeared to be a piece of hematite, but was in reality a fine, round,
black pearl, weighing 77 grains. The color had faded from exposure to
the sun. This pearl was brought to London, and the outer layer was taken
off, when a perfect black pearl of 67 grains was uncovered. This was
sold to a manufacturing jeweler in London for £400; but, having heard
that in Paris there was a pearl that would exactly match it, Mr.
Streeter bought it back again for £600, and then sold it at a large
profit to one of the Paris crown jewelers, who, in his turn, sold the
pair to a rich iron merchant for 50,000 francs (£2000 or $10,000). Since
then the sum of 100,000 francs (£4000 or $20,000) has been refused for
this pair of matchless black pearls. At present values they may be worth
double this sum.
At different times the values assigned to the different forms and colors
of pearls have varied. For instance, in the French Encyclopédie of 1774
(Vol. XII, p. 385), it is stated that pear-shaped pearls, although they
might be equally perfect and of the same weight as round pearls, were
valued much less than these. Even in the case of well-matched pairs,
their price was a third less than that of round pearls.
As early as the sixteenth century it was not uncommon that jewelers who
had in their possession a fine pear-shaped pearl would have a replica of
it molded in lead, and then send the casts to the large cities of Europe
and the East. If a mate was found for it, the respective owners soon
came to terms, for such pearls command a much higher price together than
they do separately.
An interesting story is told of no less a collector than the Duke of
Brunswick, who was so generous to the city of Geneva. For many years
every pear-shaped pearl from every land had been submitted to him for
examination. He always claimed the privilege of examining it alone for a
moment or two and in every instance he returned it. At last a new
pear-shaped pearl of marvelous size and beauty was heard of in a distant
country. It was sent to Germany, where the duke was visiting at that
time, to a local dealer who acted as agent for the owner. The price
demanded for it seemed excessive, but the duke took the pearl, stepped
aside for a moment, and said, quick as a flash, “The pearl is mine.” The
next day he showed it with a mate he had owned for many years and that
was a most faultless match. Through all the years of his search he had
never informed any one of his intention to match the pearl he already
owned.
In 1879, at the time of the death of the father of Sultan Buderuddin of
the Sulu Islands, a box of large and fine pearls was among the treasures
he left behind him. Many of these disappeared, but some of them came
into the hands of Sultan Buderuddin and his mother. The former sold
those which he had inherited, in order to defray the expenses of a
pilgrimage to Mecca, in 1882. His mother, who exerted a great influence
over the conduct of affairs, retained a number of the pearls, and it was
always difficult to induce her to part with any of them. When, as very
rarely happened, she was persuaded to do so, she invariably got a higher
price for them than they would have commanded in London, because she was
never anxious to sell, and always said: “Why should I sell my pearls? If
the Spaniards come to attack us, I can put them in a handkerchief and go
into the hills; but if I had dollars I should need a number of men to
carry them.” We do not yet know what became of the stolen pearls.
Many times has a dealer put nearly all that he possessed into a fine
pearl or necklace, frequently without a reward; often gradually buying
more and more, hoping for some great patron to relieve him. When the
client appears, there is happiness, but when he does not, there is woe.
This instance is well illustrated when Philip IV of Spain asked of the
merchant Gogibus: “How have you ventured to put all your fortune into
such a small object?” “Because I knew there was a king of Spain to buy
it of me,” was the quick reply. And Philip rewarded the faith of the
jeweler by purchasing the pearl.
Caire and Dufie[404] state:
We need have no fear that either the price or the use of pearls will
diminish when we consider the great demand for them both on account
of luxury and superstition. There is no Hindu who does not regard it
as a matter of religion that he should pierce at least one pearl on
the occasion of his marriage. This must be a new pearl which has
never been perforated. Whatever may be the mysterious signification,
this very ancient usage is, at least, very useful for the commerce
of pearls.
In 1898, one of the writers had a long talk with his late chief, who
had, at that time, devoted sixty years of his life to the jewelry
profession. In the course of the conversation the latter remarked: “It
seems to me that pearls are too dear”; to which the writer rejoined:
“Have pearls ever gone down in price during your entire connection with
the jewelry profession?” The answer was: “No, they have always
advanced.” Whereupon the writer said: “I can give you statistics for two
hundred years preceding your earliest experience, which prove that
pearls constantly advanced in value during that period.”
The following are the names given to the different kinds of pearls,
according to their origin.
The term “oriental” designates those pearls that are found in the true
pearl-oyster, and have a marine or salt-water origin, being found either
in the ocean or one of its adjacent tributaries, and belonging to one of
the numerous species of the Margaritiferæ.
The term “fresh-water” is given to those pearls that are found in the
fresh-water brooks, rivulets, rivers, or fresh-water lakes, and not in
salt water, and which belong to the Unionidæ.
The term “conch” is applied to that variety of pearl which is usually
pink, or yellow, in color, and that is either found in the univalve
shell, known as the common conch (_Strombus gigas_), or in the yellow
shell (_Cassis madagascarensis_).
The word “clam pearl” is used to designate those pearls that are found
in the common clam of the Atlantic coast, and are either black, dark
purple, purple, or mixed with white, more especially if they are boiled.
“Placuna pearl” designates those pearls that are found in the Placuna,
or window-glass shell, in the East. They have a micaceous luster, are
rarely of much value, and are sold entirely in the Orient, almost
exclusively for medicinal purposes.
“Oyster pearl” signifies those concretions that are found in the common
edible oyster (Ostrea). They are generally black, purple, or with a
mixture of black and white, or purple and white. They are devoid of
nacreous luster and possess neither beauty nor value.
“Coque de perle” designates the globuse walls of the nautilus and
possibly other shells that have a pearly nacre; they are almost
hemispherical and are either round or long, having a pearly effect.
“Abalone”: a name applied to those pearls that are found in the univalve
“ear-shell” or _awabi_, as it is called in Japan. They are generally
green, blue-green, or fawn-yellow, and have an intense red, flame-like
iridescence. They are rarely round, generally flat, or irregular, and
are occasionally worth several hundreds of dollars each.
“Pinna pearls”: those pearls that are found in the Pinna, or wing-shells
of the Mediterranean and adjacent seas. These possess no orient, but are
more highly crystalline than any other pearls. They are almost
translucent and have a peculiar red or yellow color, and are of little
value except locally.
“Cocoanut pearl”: this name is given to those pearls that are found in
the giant oyster or clam of the vicinity of Singapore; they are
erroneously called cocoanut pearls because they have the appearance of
the meat of the cocoanut. They are often of great size, but have no
commercial value.
The following are special designations of the different varieties of
pearls according to their forms and appearance:
Paragon: this term was formerly used to designate large and
exceptionally perfect or beautiful pearls, usually weighing over one
hundred grains.
Round: when the pearl is absolutely spherical, as if turned on a lathe,
without any flattening or any indentations on the sides.
Button or Bouton: if the pearl is domed on top and has either a flat or
slightly convex back.
Pear-shaped: when the pearl is formed like a pear, terminating in a
point, and is either flat at the lower end or rounded.
Drop-shaped: when the pearl is elongated like a pear, but is larger at
the lower end than a pear-shaped pearl.
Egg-shaped: when ovate in form, rounded more or less at each end, or
formed like an egg.
Cone-shaped: applied to pearls that are elongated and rounded with one
flat end, and have the form of a cone.
Top-shaped: a name given to those pearls that are broad, flattened at
the top and rounded on the sides, terminating in a point, like a top.
Seed-pearls is a name given to pearls that are round or irregular, and
weigh one fourth grain or even less. They are frequently so small that
18,000 are contained in a single ounce, and they are often sent from the
East in bunches of about a dozen or so of strings.
Dust-pearls. When seed-pearls are very small they are known as
“dust-pearls”; they are really as fine as dust and have very little
value; still, their form is in many cases wonderfully perfect.
Petal pearls are those which are somewhat flat, frequently more pointed
at one end than at the other, and have the appearance of a petal or
leaf.
Hinge pearls are those pearls that are long, generally pointed at either
or both ends, and are found near the hinge part of the shell. They are
divided into two distinct forms, namely dog-tooth, and wing-shaped.
Wing pearls: those that are elongated or irregular, resembling a wing or
part of a wing.
Dog-tooth: applied to pearls with pointed ears, elongated, and which are
narrower than the wing pearls.
Slugs: a name used for the very irregular, distorted pearls, frequently
made up of masses or groups of small pearls; usually without luster or
form, and of little value except for medicinal purposes.
Nuggets: when the pearls are somewhat round, but are indented or
slightly irregular.
Haystacks: when the pearls are either round or oval, with the top
considerably elevated.
Turtlebacks: when the pearls are a trifle longer than they are wide,
with a domed surface not much elevated. This form is quite prevalent
among American pearls.
Strawberry pearls: those that are round or elongated and entirely
covered with prickly points, somewhat resembling a strawberry or pickle.
It is believed that these irregular marks are frequently produced by
minute pearls.
“Blister” and “Chicot” are names applied to those pearls that are found
embedded within a nacreous coating, often containing mud, water, or
imperfect mother-of-pearl. After these “blisters,” as they are termed,
are broken, and layer after layer has been removed from the contents,
very fine pearls have frequently been found.
Peelers: a term applied to pearls having imperfect surfaces or skins
that may have some inner layers which are perfect. Pearls having opaque
bands or rings are rarely peeled with much success as this opaque layer
frequently extends to some depth.
Cylindrical pearls: for pearls that have the form of a cylinder, being
elongated and flattened at each end.
Hammer pearls: when pearls are long and somewhat rounded and assume the
shape of a hammer or barrel. These are rounded or domed at the side and
flattened at the ends.
Baroque (Wart pearls in German): when pearls are not of any perfect form
such as round, pear, ovate, or any regular form, they are termed
baroque, and this term covers a large class of varieties, such as all
that follow (except seed- and half-pearls).
Double, triple, or twin pearls are those that are made up of two or more
pearls united together in a single nacreous coating, showing, however,
that they are still separate pearls.
Monster pearls: this name was formerly applied to very large, irregular,
pearly masses which either resembled some animal or were adapted to form
the head, trunk, or other part of an animal: these are also occasionally
called “Paragons.”
Bird’s-eye: a name used for a pearl that has dull spots, giving it the
appearance of a bird’s-eye.
“Ring-a-round” is a term applied to such pearls as are black, brown,
pink, or white, and have a circle running around the pearl itself of
some distinctive contrasting color, as white on black, pink on brown or
black on white.
Embedded pearls are those that are partly or entirely surrounded by
mother-of-pearl, having been enveloped and passed outward from the
interior of the shell by the mollusk so that in time the pearl would
have been lost on the outside of the shell. These embedded pearls are
occasionally found in the manufacture of mother-of-pearl articles. When
the mother-of-pearl is split, the pearl will fall out from between the
layers.
Half-pearls is the name given to such pearls as are round and
spherically domed, and are either somewhat flat or almost the shape of
one half of a whole pearl of the same diameter. They are usually made by
cutting off the best part of a hemispherical bright spot from a large
irregular pearl; frequently two to four cuttings are made from the
bright spots of a single pearl, each of the cuttings having the
appearance of half a pearl.
The so-called Indian pearls have a faint rosy tint with much orient.
These are generally pearls from the Ceylonese fisheries that are sold
from the Bombay side. The term “Madras white” describes the whiter
varieties, there being a preference for these in Madras, while the rosy,
yellow, and darker shades are favored in Bombay.
Australian pearls are generally a pure waxy white and lustrous, often
with a silver-white sheen, extremely brilliant and beautiful.
Nearly all the Venezuela and Panama pearls have a faint golden-yellow
tint, very often extremely lustrous, and are especially desired by the
darker skinned people and brunettes.
The preference at various times has varied with different peoples: in
China and India, golden-yellow and satin-yellow pearls are preferred;
from Panama we have the very white; in Bombay the yellow pearls from the
Persian Gulf are highly appreciated.
Yellow pearls from other shells than the pearl-oyster are frequently
offered for sale in the East, where they are greatly appreciated,
although they find little favor in England. Some of these pearls are
attributed to the pearly nautilus (_Nautilus pompilius_). This may be
the case with those that have a pearly luster, but those that have the
appearance of porcelain, and are as bright as polished china, are
certainly not from this shell, but evidently from the large Melo or
other shells of that character. Some may come from the large conch
(_Cassis madagascarensis_). A yellow pearl, very perfect in form and
color, and weighing more than one hundred grains, was shown at the Paris
Exposition of 1889 and was valued at 50,000 francs.
Wonderful golden-yellow pearls with a saffron tint are unusually
lustrous and beautiful. One of the most remarkable pearls of this
character is of a brilliant golden-yellow color which belongs to an
American lady, and weighs 30½ grains. These pearls are from Shark’s Bay,
West Australia, and only a limited number of them are found annually.
Black pearls do not seem to have been regarded with any favor by the
ancients, and we find no mention of them by medieval writers. Only fifty
years ago a perfectly round, black pearl, weighing 8 grains, was sold
for £4 ($20); to-day this pearl would easily bring £100 ($500). Empress
Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, may be said to have brought them into
favor; she owned a splendid necklace of black pearls which was sold at
Christie’s, after the fall of Napoleon, for the sum of £4000 ($20,000).
Some time later, the Marquis of Bath bought, at Christie’s, the pearl
which formed the clasp of the necklace, paying £1000 ($5000) for it; he
destined it for the center of a bracelet.
Greenish-black pearls are perhaps valued higher than any other colored
pearls, if they have the proper orient; this is probably partly owing to
their rarity. A bluish-black pearl possessing a fine orient commands
almost the same price as a pure black pearl. Those which are found in
the _Placuna placenta_ are often of a dull gray hue, while those
produced by the _Pinna squamosa_ are generally brown in color.
Baroque pearls were formerly much worn and appreciated in Spain and
Poland. Their price varies greatly, according to their size, their
beauty, and also to their scarcity in any particular place. The pieces
of pearl detached from the shells—often half-pearl and half
mother-of-pearl, and called “de fantaisie”—are always very irregular in
form, and sometimes offer a certain resemblance to a part of the human
or animal form.[405]
How is it that such quantities of jewels are continually brought from
the East, and such a wealth of them continues to exist there, when there
are now no very extensive mines that maintain a constant supply? The
reason is that from time immemorial, precious stones have been the form
in which wealth, in those lands, has been hoarded and preserved. Until
very recently, in the Orient, interest-bearing securities have been
unknown; and hence jewels have been sought and kept as an investment,
and sold only when money was needed for special purposes, as in times of
war, famine, or other emergency.
Their small bulk made them easy to conceal and to transport, and hence
they were well adapted for such use. How long this condition will last,
is perhaps dependent only upon the introduction of interest-paying
investments, and of the new forms of Western civilization that involve
greater expenses and require means of income in excess of the older and
simpler conditions.
The wealth of jewels possessed by Oriental monarchs, notables, and
dealers, has been the theme of story and tradition, time out of mind. We
of the West have been disposed to regard these tales as largely
exaggerated, and to some extent they may be; yet any one who has
witnessed an important social function or state occasion where East
Indian rajahs and nabobs are present, knows that the profusion of jewels
which they wear is simply astounding to our Western eyes. These objects
represent, moreover, the gatherings of generations and centuries; they
are heirlooms and ancestral treasures, priceless to their owners as the
pride of their houses; handed down from fathers to sons in long
succession; and they have also the investment feature already noted, in
that whenever necessity arises they can be turned into available funds.
The manner of keeping and of selling such objects is also different from
ours. If it be a question of buying gems from an Eastern owner, the best
are never shown first, but on the contrary, the most inferior. The
purchaser must either be content with these, or else must prove clearly
that he is a substantial buyer or evince a knowledge and appreciation
that mark him as a judge of such objects. The order in which they are
produced is, first the poorest, then successively, poor, medium, fair,
good, fine, and at last the rare and wonderful prizes.
In visiting an Oriental dignitary, his jewel-treasures are not all shown
at once, as at an American reception or an Indian durbar, or even as a
collector or connoisseur among us exhibits his cabinet, arranged for
choice display. The method is far different. The visitor may be shown a
few objects in the first day or hour; perhaps a few more later in the
day; some on the next day or the one following, and so on; and he may
remain a guest for weeks, and never see all, or the finest of the jewels
belonging to his host. When they are produced, moreover, they are not in
iron caskets or in gold or silver jewel-cases, covered or lined with
fine leather or with silk or satin. On the contrary, they are often in
old ginger jars, shabby boxes, tin cans, and all sorts of unsightly or
unpromising receptacles, which, when placed between the owner and his
guest, may well cause the latter to wonder. Nor is his surprise lessened
as the wrappings are unfolded, one after another, perhaps a dozen old
cloths, until the piece of jewelry or the splendid pearl is at last
brought to view, after having been hidden from sight in its manifold
wrappings for months or perhaps for years.
But this method of keeping such treasures is not in reality so strange
as it appears. There are none of the provisions that we have for the
responsible safe-guarding of investments or valuable objects,—no
fire-proof safes, no banks, no deposit-vaults. Security is best attained
by concealment in unattractive and improbable receptacles, and by
dividing and distributing the treasured objects. The owner, too, must
learn to know his visitor quite well before he exhibits to him all, or
the best, that he possesses. Hence the oriental method, though so
peculiar to us, has been the best adapted to the conditions among those
peoples.
[Illustration:
Seed-pearls and gold; Chinese ornaments of the nineteenth century
]
[Illustration:
Complete set of seed-pearl jewelry in original case
New York, 1860
]
As an illustration of the interest taken by Oriental potentates in the
collection of jewels, we quote an instance from Marco Polo, who,
centuries ago, wrote the following:[406] “Several times every year the
King of Maabar sends his proclamation through the realm that if any one
who possesses a pearl or stone of great value will bring it to him, he
will pay for it twice as much as it cost. Everybody is glad to do this,
and thus the King gets all into his own hands, giving every man his
price.”
Great quantities of pearls, the result of centuries of accumulation, and
exceeding in splendor the collections of the present day, must have been
garnered up in many cities of the Orient during the period of their
prosperity. But these cities have disappeared, wrecked and ruined by
fire and sword, and no vestige of their former wealth remains with them.
Their treasures have been looted, hoarded, buried, or scattered to the
four ends of the Orient, frequently finding their way in former times to
Europe, but now more often to America, where fine gems always find a
generous buyer.
In Syria, and some of the Oriental countries, until recently, and
perhaps at the present time, it has been the custom, when a native
wished to embark in the pearl business, for him to allow himself to
drift gradually into a state of vagrancy, becoming a veritable tramp for
fully a year. Then, with the money that he had himself or that which was
supplied by his backer, he would visit the pearl fisheries and shrewdly
acquire the gems to the best advantage, returning again as a vagrant;
for if it were known at any point along the route that he carried with
him sums of money his life would be in jeopardy, and he would probably
never reach the fisheries; or, if he did, the chances are that he would
never return. This may remind us of Marco Polo’s old coat, in which he
had concealed some valuable gems, the gift of the Grand Khan. His wife
heedlessly gave the coat to a beggar and it was only regained by a
clever stratagem.
The product of the pearl fisheries, either that of entire fisheries
where they are managed by a company, or the gatherings of merchants, or
even the single gems which may be acquired by the smaller merchants, all
these usually find their way to the great markets, although occasionally
they change hands at once. In the East they are sent either to Bombay,
Calcutta, Madras or Colombo; frequently they are intended for a higher
market. Many of them remain in the East, for in the East to-day a fine
pearl is as much prized as ever, and there are those who love pearls as
much as did the King of Maabar in the time of Marco Polo. However, the
world over, there is a feeling that if things are sent to the greatest
market there will be an opportunity for disposing of them at the
greatest price. Therefore, the larger number of parcels of exceptionally
fine pearls are sent to the London market, a few of them going to Paris,
the cable, often within a few days after their arrival, informing the
sender of the acceptance or rejection of a parcel, or of a new offer
which is often accepted. In this market they are acquired by the
dealers, who frequently exhibit many times before the lot is purchased.
Pearls from a fishery are in many cases of mixed quality; that is to
say, they are of different sizes and varying grades of perfection as
regards skin, color, and orient. These parcels are often sold directly
on offers to dealers, but generally they are sold by brokers who show
the various parcels to the dealers, each of the latter in turn making
his offer on that portion of the parcel which is of most value to him.
Thus a single dealer may want one pearl, a dozen, or even twenty or
more, to complete a great necklace, or else to add to, or improve the
necklace, by better graduation or by increasing the evenness of the
color. When the broker receives enough offers to give him the desired
price for the entire parcel, the sale is consummated, and each one who
has made an offer and who has sealed his particular parcel until his
offer is accepted or rejected, receives his portion. Pearls do not grow
in the form of necklaces, although they are frequently seen in this form
only, and to create a large necklace means not only the use of the
pearls of one fishery alone, but it often requires a selection from
pearls of various sizes, the product of many fisheries.
It is needless to say that even the shrewdest dealers do not always
succeed in their purchases of lots which are to be broken up when the
proper number of bids are obtained.
When the pearl revival came in 1898 there was a sudden and rapid upward
tendency in the prices, because at that time, in England, money could be
borrowed upon a very low rate of interest—as low as 3 per cent.,—and it
was a temptation to a number of young men to enter as dealers into the
pearl trade. The result was that a number of new stocks were created,
not for a regular, but for a speculative demand, and this tended to
advance the price spasmodically, rather than gradually, as it would have
risen by regular consumption. However, when the foreign market became
higher, the demand for pearls was not as great as had been anticipated,
and there was a sudden adjustment of prices and a readjustment of the
pearl stocks, resulting in the elimination of a certain number of
speculative dealers; and, notwithstanding the state of the fisheries,
pearls have not advanced so rapidly in the past two years as they did
from 1898 to 1905.
More than go per cent. of the pearls of commerce, whether they are
round, perfect, half- or seed-pearls, are of oriental origin; that is,
pearls from the true pearl-oyster. About 8 per cent. are probably from
the fresh-water mussels, three fourths of which are from the United
States.
American fresh-water pearls have had many prejudices to overcome, often
because of the natural indifference in regard to anything that is found
at home or is easily obtainable. It has been said that, in comparison
with foreign pearls, they had less specific gravity; that they were not
so hard, and that their luster was not as good. It is certain, however,
that the skin is generally smooth, and although they may not have so
peculiar an orient, their brilliancy equals that of any known pearls.
Sometimes they are translucent and either pink or of a faintly bluish
tint, like molten silver. More frequently their hue is white, rose, pale
yellow, or pale copper, deepening to copper red until they resemble the
most intense and highly polished copper button.
According to the estimates of the value of European fresh-water pearls
given by seventeenth and eighteenth century writers, their worth was
considered to be one half that of oriental pearls of approximately the
same quality. Few European pearls, we feel sure, were ever found that
possessed the wonderful beauty and brilliancy of the pearls found either
in the Miami or the Mississippi and its many tributaries.
So great a quantity of the poorer quality of pearls have been found,
principally in the Mississippi Valley, that a foreign dealer has bought
30,000 ounces of baroque pearls at $1 an ounce, and of the slightly
better grades fully 100,000 dollars’ worth were obtained in the year
1906. The exportation was strictly limited to the poorer qualities. When
pearls are worth from $1 to $6 a grain and upward, they are rarely sent
abroad, as the regular pearls of this quality are much appreciated by
Americans, and find a ready sale in the United States. The poor pearls
above mentioned were principally sent to New York, either from the local
fishermen, or else through the dealers in sweet-water shells, in lots of
a fraction of an ounce, or in bags weighing a number of pounds. Thirty
thousand ounces would equal 18,180,000 grains.
After all the fine pearls have been selected—buttons, baroques,
turtle-backs, haystacks, wings, petals and other pearls that can be used
in any way as a jewel on this side of the water—the balance of the
material is sold by the ounce, varying in price from $1 to $5. These are
shipped to Germany, France, and Austria, where they are again selected
for cheaper forms of jewelry than are made in the United States. Of
these pearls the baroques and slugs go mainly to Germany, while the
somewhat finer ones are sent to France, where they are used in artistic
but inexpensive work, such as flowers and other imitative forms, and in
_art nouveau_ jewelry. Some, again, are shipped to Algiers, Morocco, and
Egypt, for the decoration of saddles, garments, etc., and quantities go
to India to be used for medicinal purposes. In this way all the material
is utilized and even the poorest is not wasted. No better proof can be
required of the wide-spread appreciation of the pearl among all the
races of mankind.
So extensive has become the finding of American pearls that great
quantities have been gathered together of all varieties. At the time of
this writing there are many large single lots of these pearls, slightly
irregular, and not of fine quality, but yet of sufficient regularity of
size to be termed baroques. At one time such quantities were gotten
together that single papers of pearls, weighing one fourth, one half,
one, two or three grains each, contained more than 10,000 grains, and
quantities of the wing and dog-tooth varieties weighing as much as
20,000 grains were inclosed in a single paper.
So prolific has been the yield of these common American pearls that the
markets of Europe and Asia have almost been flooded with them. In 1906,
a single shipment of 3500 ounces, troy (equaling over 2,100,000 grains),
were sent abroad, at prices varying from $1 to $15 per ounce, according
to the quality. This alone would represent a worth of $30,000 at one
time.
The turtleback is a form quite prevalent among American pearls, and they
are often matched in pairs slightly resembling each other and weighing
from 10 to 100 or more grains for each pair. Some of them are lustrous
and many are of very good color and regular in form. Although differing
but little in shape, they naturally are much less expensive than a finer
formed pearl, and many of them have been sold for link buttons, and more
especially for earscrews. Although they formerly sold for 50 cents a
grain, they are now held at from $1 to $8 per grain.
In regard to the prices of some of the finer American pearls, one of 15
grains, of wonderful brilliancy, luster, and perfection, was sold for
more than $2500–$166 a grain, or a base value of over $11 a grain. Two
extraordinarily well-matched button pearls, weighing a trifle over 30
grains, were held at about $3500, or $115 a grain, a base value of about
$8 a grain.
At the time of this writing there are for sale in the United States a
pair of button earrings, almost round, not of absolutely perfect color,
weighing about 140 grains, the price being $6000; a round, slightly
ovate pearl, not of the finest color, weighing 85 grains, held at $3500;
and a wonderful pearl with a rich, faintly pink luster, round, but
slightly button on each side, weighing about 44 grains, and beautiful as
are American pearls, is held at a fanciful valuation of over $6000.
The cupidity of many of the American pearl finders and pearl dealers
cannot be exceeded even by that of the foreign pearl finder in any other
land, and this is shown by the variety of materials that from time to
time are sold to the unsuspecting public, or that are sent to pearl
dealers in the large cities. This is surprising and suggests either that
the sender believes the pearl dealers are not familiar with these
deceptions, or else that he himself has been imposed upon, and is
innocent in his commercial deceit. Among the notable examples are,
first, spheres made out of the various shells, either from a good part
of the material or from hinge-material, or else from the spot where the
mussel is attached, these pieces of the shell being rounded and
polished; such spheres vary in color from white to pink or yellow, just
as the shell itself may have been colored. Second, the pupils of
fish-eyes. Third, imitation pearls. Fourth, yellow or brown translucent
or transparent masses of hinge-binding material having no greater
hardness than horn, and about the same appearance. The most interesting,
however, are the absolutely beautiful, smooth spheres of anthracite
coal, which admits of a rich polish and has a peculiar luster; these
they attempt to pass off as black pearls.
It is interesting to note that in Arkansas a negro sold a very valuable
pearl for a few dollars, under the persuasion of a white man, who, it is
said, resold the pearl for nearly a hundred times more than what he paid
for it. The local authorities investigated the matter; the case was
brought to court, and the negro received a large advance on the price
that had originally been paid him.
If a list were kept of the thousand and one different methods of
wrapping American pearls for shipment to the larger cities, it would
show how much ingenuity is displayed in environments that frequently
differ very much from each other. A box that has contained the pills
that relieved him of fever, ague, and other ills due to swamps and damp
climates, serves a secondary purpose for the fortunate finder of a pearl
in forming a receptacle in which he can ship it to the greater market.
Sometimes they are sewed in leather cut from gloves and shoes, or in
strips of cloth, generally of the humbler varieties, such as calico or
blue jean; in other cases they are wrapped in tissue-paper and
newspaper; and occasionally they are packed in boxes made by hollowing
out a bit of wood, a cover being nailed over the opening. In almost
every instance they have been treated with a certain degree of care.
The majority of conch pearls which are carried by individuals to New
York, London, or Paris, are generally brought in small papers or bits of
cloth, each pearl being wrapped separately. Usually, there are a few
white ones, a few yellow, a few pale pink, occasionally a few of a very
beautiful rich pink, and once in a great while a fine, large pearl
appears. Many of these pearls, commonly the inferior ones, are sold in
the West Indies directly to the tourists who wish to purchase something
in the country through which they are traveling, with the result that
better prices are generally obtained than would have been secured if the
pearls had been sent to the great markets.
The tariff on pearls at present operative in the United States is so
indefinite as to have led to much serious misinterpretation and
misunderstanding, as well as to an endless chain of lawsuits, often
resulting in serious loss to the dealer or client who imports. As a
consequence of the enforced outlay of large sums for unexpected and
additional duties, the importer, who was both ready and willing to pay
what seemed to him a just duty, often found that, where he had quoted a
price to a customer, he was a loser by the transaction; and if, to
escape this loss, he endeavors to dispute the payment of the duty, he
becomes involved in an expensive and occasionally unsuccessful lawsuit.
On the other hand, a private buyer who has paid all that he feels he can
afford at the time for a necklace, expecting to pay a duty of 10 per
cent. and interpreting the law to mean a duty of 10 per cent., may be
called upon to pay a duty of 60 per cent., or have the notoriety of a
public lawsuit, because the pearls have been strung, or because it is
held that they had recently or at some former time been assembled as a
necklace. In other words, if the pearls constituting such a necklace are
bought at various times from various people, either here or in Europe,
and not as a necklace, the duty is held to be 10 per cent., but if they
are sent in one shipment, a duty of 60 per cent. is levied. As it is
held that pearls assembled in the form of a necklace have a greater
value than before they were so assembled, the purchaser might naturally
expect to pay the 10 per cent. duty on this higher value, but instead of
this a 60 per cent. duty is demanded on the higher assembled value.
The ambiguity of this clause of the tariff is such that a logical ruling
should be made by some superior official such as the Secretary of the
Treasury. As the law is now interpreted, a pearl worth $20,000 can be
brought in with a duty of 10 per cent.; the addition of a simple gold
wire makes it a piece of jewelry, with a duty of 60 per cent. It would
seem that an amendment might be made to the tariff by which an importer,
whether a private buyer or dealer, could be called upon to pay a 60 per
cent. duty on a high valuation of the setting of the ring, brooch, or
jewel, such as $20, $25 or $50; while the contents of the ring or
ornament, whether a pearl, diamond, emerald, or a collection of stones,
should pay a duty of only 10 per cent. This duty would sufficiently
protect the jewelry industry, and would at the same time prevent the
levying of an unjust and unexpected impost upon a fine pearl or gem of
any kind.
It is eminently desirable that those residing in the United States who
purchase pearls in foreign countries, should, if possible, consult with
the United States consul in the city where they make their purchase, in
case they wish to bring the pearls into the United States. In this way a
proper declaration can be made, they will be correctly instructed as to
the duties upon the pearls, whether unstrung, strung, or set, and they
will thus avoid all complications when they reach the United States. Of
course, this may not be necessary should the firm with which they are
dealing be able to attend to the matter for them.
It must not be forgotten that the duty of 25 per cent. on precious
stones, which was imposed during Cleveland’s administration, was enacted
for the purpose of obtaining an increased revenue for the government,
and there is no doubt but that the time was one of great financial
stress. Yet even with the duty two and a half times as high as in the
previous years, only a small fraction was added to the income of the
Government. But one adequate explanation can be given of this remarkable
decrease in the recorded imports, more especially when we consider that
legitimate dealers could, at that time, buy precious stones in New York
City for less than it cost them to purchase them abroad and pay the
duty. It seems, therefore, that a 10 per cent. rate is calculated to
produce the best and most satisfactory results in every way.
As examples of the difficulties encountered in the attempt to arrive at
a proper classification of pearls we cite the following cases which have
been the subjects of recent litigation: In 1901, two very valuable
collections of pearls were brought to this country. One of these
consisted of 45 drilled pearls weighing in all 672⅛ grains and entered
at $60,734; the other, of 39 pearls, having an aggregate weight of 678¾
grains and entered at $63,070. At first a duty of 20 per cent. ad
valorem was imposed upon these pearls under Section 6 of the Tariff Act,
treating them as “unenumerated articles partly manufactured,” according
to the rule that had been followed since the enactment of the present
tariff. This was protested, and the case was brought before the Board of
Appraisers.[407] Subsequent to the protest, however, the collector
reliquidated the entry of the 45 pearls and imposed upon them a duty of
60 per cent. ad valorem, as pearls set or strung. This was done in view
of Judge Lacombe’s decision in another notable case which had been taken
shortly before to the Circuit Court of Appeals.[408] This decision was
to the effect that pearls in any form not especially covered by
paragraphs 434 or 436 of the Tariff Act should be referred to one or the
other of those paragraphs, by similitude, according to the provisions of