VALUES AND COMMERCE OF PEARLS 349
syndicate
to proceed to the East, to value a large quantity of jewels, as a heavy
sum of money was about to be advanced to a certain Power, to provide
the sinews of war. On his way he was requested to stop at one of the
principal towns in Germany to purchase some jewels which had been
valued for probate but were not easy of sale in that market. The
valuation paper was shown to him, and after examining the ornaments,
he agreed to take them at the prices named. Among them was an old gold
brooch of Russian manufacture, valued at £4 ; in the center of this
brooch was what appeared to be a piece of hematite, but was in reality
a fine, round, black pearl, weighing 77 grains. The color had
faded from exposure to the sun. This pearl was brought to London, and
the outer layer was taken off, when a perfect black pearl of 67 grains
was uncovered. This was sold to a manufacturing jeweler in London for
£400; but, having heard that in Paris there was a pearl that would
exactly match it, Mr. Streeter bought it back again for £600, and then
sold it at a large profit to one of the Paris crown jewelers, who, in
his turn, sold the pair to a rich iron merchant for 50,000 francs
(£2000 or $10,000). Since then the sum of 100,000 francs (£4000 or
$20,000) has been refused for this pair of matchless black pearls. At
present values they may be worth double this sum.
At
different times the values assigned to the different forms and colors
of pearls have varied. For instance, in the French Encyclopédie of 1774
(Vol. XII, p. 385), it is stated that pear-shaped pearls, although
they might be equally perfect and of the same weight as round pearls,
were valued much less than these. Even in the case of well-matched
pairs, their price was a third less than that of round pearls.
As
early as the sixteenth century it was not uncommon that jewelers who
had in their possession a fine pear-shaped pearl would have a replica
of it molded in lead, and then send the casts to the large cities of
Europe and the East. If a mate was found for it, the respective owners
soon came to terms, for such pearls command a much higher price
together than they do separately.
An
interesting story is told of no less a collector than the Duke of
Brunswick, who was so generous to the city of Geneva. For many years
every pear-shaped pearl from every land had been submitted to him for
examination. He always claimed the privilege of examining it alone for
a moment or two and in every instance he returned it. At last a new
pear-shaped pearl of marvelous size and beauty was heard of in a
distant country. It was sent to Germany, where the duke was visiting at
that time, to a local dealer who acted as agent for the owner. The
price demanded for it seemed excessive, but the duke took the pearl,
stepped aside for a moment, and said, quick as a flash, "The pearl is
mine." The next day he showed it with a mate he had owned
