Gems Notes and Extracts Augusto Castellani, Mrs. John Brogden 1871

PEARL. 171The daring Americans go toPanama to fish pearliferousbivalves in the depths of the ocean, rivallingeach other in vigour and dexterity.The quiet Swede, while seated in his boat, seeksthe meleagrine in the depths of his seas, and loosensthem from the rocks with solid and long pincers ofiron.The pearls which are brought by the fishers arecalled virgin pearls. The merchant classifies anddivides them according to form, colour, and quality ;puts the round ones together, pairs those in form of apear, takes away the irregular ones, which are called~barocche, or out of the round, and puts the smallestones aside.The round pearls are pierced and strung with asilken thread, and often with much art, to give abetter effect, whilst the equality of colour and of sizegreatly influence their price.A perfect pearl ought to be without inequalities ofsurface. "Whatever its form, pure, of a silvery whitecolour, slightly blue or yellow, without roughness, andrather bright.In such condition pearls weighing1 grain are worth 25 lire the pennyweight.2 693 150 .4 300and so on ;the value increases according to the size ;but when they weigh more than two pennyweightsthey obtain fancy prices.