Charles I Pearl. Admirers
of Vandyke's pictures of Charles I (1600-1649) readily recall the pearl
pendant from his right ear, which appears in nearly all of his
portraits by that artist. Janin wrote : "This pearl in the ear of his
majesty was greatly coveted, and as soon as his head had fallen, the
witnesses of the dreadful scene rushed forward, ready to imbue their
hands in his blood in order to secure the royal jewel." It seems more
probable that the martyr king would have left this gem in the hands of
a trusty friend for his family than to the risk of injury by the ax and
to be torn from his mutilated head by a scrambling mob.
Owing to
their control of the great fisheries, the most valuable collections of
pearls have been held by eastern monarchs, and particularly by those of
India and Persia. It has been estimated that one third of the portable
wealth of these countries is in jewels. Most Orientals are as
suspicious of interest in their jewels as they are of inquiry
regarding their harems, imagining, doubtless, that the interest
conceals a sentiment of cupidity, hence it is not practicable to give a
minute description of them. However, several travelers have recorded
glowing accounts of collections which they have examined, which read
much like a description of Aladdin's palace in the Arabian Nights.
Among these, some of the greatest are the
Pearls described by Ta vernier. For
accounts of remarkable pearls in eastern countries in the seventeenth
century, we are indebted to that well-informed old French jeweler,
Tavernier, one of the most remarkable gem dealers the world has ever
known. He made numerous journeys to Persia, Turkey, Central Asia, and
the East Indies, gaining the confidence of the highest officials and
trading in gems of the greatest value. After amassing a large fortune
and purchasing a barony near Lake Geneva, he died at Moscow in 1689
while on a mercantile trip to the Orient, at the age of eighty-four
years. His "Voyages," published in 1676-1679, reveal a critical
knowledge of gems, a remarkable insight into human nature, and the
absence of any intention to impart misleading information.
In
the first English edition of his travels, published in 1678, Tavernier
gave sketches of five of the principal pearls which came under his
careful observation.
Figure
1 of Tavernier's diagram shows what he considered "the largest and most
perfect pearl ever discovered, and without the least defect." The
weight of this pear-shaped gem does not appear to have been noted, but
from the sketch it may be estimated at about 500 grains. Tavernier
states that the bloodthirsty Shah Sofi, King of
