by
mother-of-pearl, having been enveloped and passed outward from the
interior of the shell by the mollusk so that in time the pearl would
have been lost on the outside of the shell. These embedded pearls are
occasionally found in the manufacture of mother-of-pearl articles. When
the mother-of-pearl is split, the pearl will fall out from between the
layers.
Half-pearls
is the name given to such pearls as are round and spherically domed,
and are either somewhat flat or almost the shape of one half of a whole
pearl of the same diameter. They are usually made by cutting off the
best part of a hemispherical bright spot from a large irregular pearl;
frequently two to four cuttings are made from the bright spots of a
single pearl, each of the cuttings having the appearance of half a
pearl.
The
so-called Indian pearls have a faint rosy tint with much orient. These
are generally pearls from the Ceylonese fisheries that are sold from
the Bombay side. The term "Madras white" describes the whiter
varieties, there being a preference for these in Madras, while the
rosy, yellow, and darker shades are favored in Bombay.
Australian
pearls are generally a pure waxy white and lustrous, often with a
silver-white sheen, extremely brilliant and beautiful.
Nearly
all the Venezuela and Panama pearls have a faint golden-yellow tint,
very often extremely lustrous, and are especially desired by the darker
skinned people and brunettes.
The
preference at various times has varied with different peoples : in
China and India, golden-yellow and satin-yellow pearls are preferred;
from Panama we have the very white; in Bombay the yellow pearls from
the Persian Gulf are highly appreciated.
Yellow
pearls from other shells than the pearl-oyster are frequently offered
for sale in the East, where they are greatly appreciated, although
they find little favor in England. Some of these pearls are attributed
to the pearly nautilus {Nautilus pompilius). This may be the
case with those that have a pearly luster, but those that have the
appearance of porcelain, and are as bright as polished china, are
certainly not from this shell, but evidently from the large Melo or
other shells of that character. Some may come from the large conch (Cassis madagascarensis). A
yellow pearl, very perfect in form and color, and weighing more than
one hundred grains, was shown at the Paris Exposition of 1889 and was
valued at 50,000 francs.
Wonderful
golden-yellow pearls with a saffron tint are unusually lustrous and
beautiful. One of the most remarkable pearls of this character is of a
brilliant golden-yellow color which belongs to an American lady, and
weighs 30^ grains. These pearls are from Shark's Bay, West Australia,
and only a limited number of them are found annually.
