of
money. Such pearls are found undoubtedly but not in such quantities as
one might think from the enthusiastic reports current in daily papers.
Finds are written up by reporters who know nothing of pearls and prefer
to write a readable story of wondrous gems and great values to a
statement of plain unvarnished facts. In this the news-gatherer is
assisted by some simple native with an eye single to a good price and a
capacity for exaggerated ideas of value impossible to Maiden Lane.
It
is no uncommon trick when buyers are present, to find again, a pearl,
which has been to New York and back and the ruse often succeeds.
Pearls are frequently sold at the fisheries for much more than they
would bring in the east. In fact it is difficult to buy ordinary pearls
at a reasonable price. The natives will sometimes sell a really fine
pearl for less than it is worth because they do not understand the
relative values of quality; but they usually over-estimate pieces of
poor quality.
A
large majority of those found in our freshwater mussels fail in some
essential quality. Many are chalky, or lustrous at one or two
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