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THE PEARL
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tion of pearls," and other authorities agree with him.
Although
there is evidence that many if not all the precious stones of to-day
were known and used by the ancients, it is equally evident that they
were much confounded and very roughly classified by general appearance
only, and as various peoples gave them different names, all records of
them are as misleading as the recorders were ignorant of their
differential qualities. Even with the rapid increase of knowledge in
the last few centuries, not until quite lately has science drawn the
lines clearly between stones similar in appearance though essentially
different and furnished means for the detection of those inherent
differences. It is impossible therefore to learn by ancient writings
how long any of the precious stones have been known and used as jewels,
for we do not know positively what the stone was by the name given in
old writings or by the translator of them. The pearl only has not been
thus generally confounded with other gems.
Once only are pearls mentioned in the Old Testament—the instance quoted from the book
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