LXXVIII.
FALSE PEARLS.
The beauty of the pearl, which so much enhances female loveliness, creates the desire for exact imitations at much lower prices.
Nevertheless, we do not know whether the ancients made false pearls or not.
The French claim the invention of imitating pearls for one of their citizens, named Jacquin.
We
shall not dispute as to who is the author of this invention, but merely
state that in Italy false pearls have been made for some centuries
past, and by a method altogether different from that of the Paris
bead-maker.
It is said that Jacquin being one day at Passy, observed that those small fish which we call argentine,
