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258 NATURAL HISTORY OF PRECIOUS STONES, &c.
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MARGARITA: and later, MARGARITUM: Μαργαρίτη?: Pearl.
This word is merely the Greek form of the Sanscrit Maracata, or the Persian Merwerid, and
approaches yet more nearly to the original in Μάραγδοϊ, used by
Menander (Ath. iii. 94). Theophrastus, however, writes Μαργαρίτη (36)
in his brief notice : " To the number of gems held in estimation
belongs that called the Margarites : transparent by its nature ; and
they make out of it the necklaces of great price. It is found within a
shell-fish resembling the pinna, only smaller. In size it is as
large as the eye of a tolerably big fish." It seems to have been known
from the earliest times to the Asiatic Greeks in consequence of their
intercourse with the Persians, ever the greatest admirers of the
Pearl. Homer (H. xiv. 183) describes Juno's ear-rings as τρίγλψα :*
this epithet " triple-eyed " can hardly apply to anything but the
Pearl, especially as no precious stones are ever alluded to by this
poet. A triplet of pear-shaped pearls forms a distinctive attribute of
the antique heads of this goddess. Three pearls strung one above
another, and increasing downwards in size, composed the ear-pendant
most admired by the Persian queens, as their portraits on the gems
manifest.
Athenaeus (iii. 93) gives an admirable account (modem
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