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Mother of Pearl

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58                                           GEMS.
XXIV.
COCCA DI PEELA.
This production of the nautilus of the Indian Ocean, so much used in the last century, seems to partake of the nature of the pearl and of the mother-of-pearl. The substance of the " cocca" is identical with that of the pearl, which it seems is not produced by the nautilus.
The cocca of pearl is formed of a membrane of mother-of-pearl, often iridescent, almost always a perfect oval, and therefore very easily paired.
Although extremely brittle on account of its thin­ness, it is nevertheless sufficiently hard. It is rendered artificially less fragile, by dropping melted gum into its hollow. However, this operation has the disadvantage of imparting a yellowish colour to the cocca.
The cocca is obtained by sawing carefully the raised convolutions of the nautilus shell. This work is prose­cuted almost exclusively in London and Holland; it merely requires a light hand which understands the handling of the saw.
At Genoa there were very clever artists, who could not only saw the nautilus with elegant precision, but make flowers and leaves of it, thus forming light inex­pensive ornaments; and in this art the Genoese were excelled by none. I believe that this work has been now for a long time neglected, but it is desirable that
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