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THE PEARL
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luster
and contiguity of others concealed. It will be discovered that the
domes of some are slightly flattened at one part of the sphere; in
others at two opposite points so as to form a double domed disk. Very
many have slight protuberances above the contour of the sphere, or
places in the spherical line, which though not flat, are depressed.
While these minor imperfections of shape do not materially hurt the
beauty of the pearl, they do decrease the value somewhat, and as they
are quite common even among fine selected pearls they accentuate the
rarity of the perfectly spherical.
The
adventures of a pearl from the moment when the mollusk begins to cover
its nucleus with nacre, until the fisher squeezes it from the folds of
the creature's mantle, are many and varied. A few-only escape
untoward happenings. The fortunate, born where the-mollusk gathers and
spreads its choice secretions of mother-of-pearl, with room to grow on
every side, are nursed in the lap of good fortune and uncheckered,
round out layer by layer to perfection.
But some are not so fortunate. In some way
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