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Ch. 7: Pearl Imperfections

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	THE PEARL

	These imperfections consist generally of dead white chalky spots and streaks, distributed over the surface of the pearl, oftentimes so small as to escape notice except under the loup. Sometimes these imperfections take the form of rings or bands which encircle the pearl. Pearls so marked are rarely if ever round, but ovoid, capsule, or cartridge shaped, and these chalky lines always encircle the cylinder; they never cross the dome. Rings around the dome occur, but the surface over them is of equal luster. Frequently the entire outer skin is without luster. Whether this arises from lack of some element in the exudations of the mollusk from which the pearl is created, or from an imperfect crystallization of the calcium carbonate, is not known. Such skins have the usual nacreous surface wave lines and are often lustrous immediately under the outer plates of the skin. It is possible that these chalky skins may result from the extraction of the pearl from the mollusk during a transitional stage, and that the presence of spots and streaks of that character, scattered over an otherwise lustrous surface, indicates that the secretions of the creature's 114

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Catelle. The Pearl.

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1 Page 298 FACTS AND FANCIES In ancient days there was a b
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2 Page 299 pearls to the reception of raindrops from heaven by the oyst
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3 Page 304 extent by the acidity of the excretions of the human skin, s
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4 Page 307 previous to her husband's assassination by Ravaillac. The co
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5 Page 308 have swallowed it like a pill or, as Sir Thomas Gresham did
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6 Page 309 of the jewel, and sometimes even that is exceeded. The buy
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7 Page 300 ing to distinguish the male from the female. This fable also
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8 Page 302 centuries to disprove them, they received credence for more
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9 Page 303 A question often raised, and which by its periodical revival
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10 Page 305 the wonderment of the reader and perpetuate the impression t
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11 Page 306 The pearl is generally considered to be the emblem of innoce
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12 Page 310 black head-lines, and the morning papers of the following da
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13 Page 301 A year later these would be larger. It is also said that whe
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14 Page 311 limitations, we find big and little, fine and ordinary
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15 Page 312 of pearls to reiterated records of a few great pearls which
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16 Page 313 reasons are chary of information, nor will they make such pi
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17 Page 317 eighteen to fifty-two and three-quarter grains each, the lat
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18 Page 314 swallowed. He placed the value of that at $375,000. As the S
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19 Page 315 large as hen's eggs in the possession of the Rajah of Borneo
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20 Page 316 attention. They pass therefore among those considered unwort
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21 Page 318 weighed 93 grains and was sold to the Empress Eugenie.
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