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brothers say:
If the Bahrinian najm that is spherical in form possesses all the attributes that go to make a perfect pearl, and weighs half a mithqal, it is
durrah, and its price is a thousand dinars. Such a pearl, if its weight is two mithqal, is priceless and any price can be set for it. The attributes of the khayah dis variety described by Al-Kindi pertain to the khayah dis kind which is even and spherical on all sides. It should be a little elongated. As for the khayah dis which is spherical on one side and elongated on the other, it is called mu'qici and is cheaper than the first kind of khayah dis. Yatimah weighed three niithqals. It is so called because the oyster had died before the birth of the twin (pearls). A pearl like this is also called farid as it has no counterpart among the pearls. Because of this fact, people are compelled to make it the largest pearl in the necklace. Beside the Razi brothers, other jewellers have this to say about the
weights and prices of pearls: The prices of pearls are determined in relation to the spherical kind.
The prices prevalent in Bahrayn are as follows: One-sixth or a mithqal, 2—3 dinars; one-third mithqal, 12—20 dinars; one-half mithqal, 30—50 dinars; two-thirds mithqal, up to 70 dinars; fivesixths mithqal, up to 100 dinars; and one mithqal, up to 200 dinars, where-after the price is scaled up by 100 per cent per every one daniq up to the weight of a mithqal and a half. There is an increment of 500 dinars for each daniq after this weight. Two niithqals would cost 2,000 and three mithqals 3,000 dinars, respectively. This is however, grossly unfair; the price ought to have been higher than this. Al-Kindi holds the dihilaki kind to be tinny in colour. He says that
is sold in Makka, according to the exchange rate of the Maghribi dinar, at two dinars per daniq and ten dinars for two daniqs by weight. Occasionally larger pearls are found among the Qulzumi ones. If free
from dullness in colour and perforations, a pearl weighing three mithqals should fetch 600 dinars. A pearl that approaches six mithqals in weight is beyond any price. The following table, which I have obtained, is of the period when
'Abd al-Malik Marwani was the Caliph. It gives the prices of pearls 'in his time). One daniq has been treated equivalent to two qirats and a half. This has been the practice since then too. I have converted the comparative statement into a table, and although it does not appear to be satisfactory, all I can do is to reproduce it. Likewise, I can only collect and collate the different statements (about the prices of pearls) for the benefit of those who are interested in the information. The pearl whose price is given should be pure, spherical, oblong, and
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