came
from the Austrian crown jewel collection. None of them possessed much
quality with the exception of one, a large pear-shaped pearl which was
set at the base of the necklace and weighed eighty-four grains. The
drilling of this pearl was of a very old style, being of that type in
which a tube is inserted in the drill hole, through which a gold wire
passes to hold the pearl ; a diamond is then set at the base of the
tube to disguise the drill mark. It is, however, possible that the
pearl came from the East Indies, where large drill holes are usual. The
pearls were sent in bond to the United States as a collection, and then
to Europe, where they were sold separately, the pear-shaped pearl
appearing again in the New York market in 1906. There has been some
doubt as to these really being Carlotta's pearls, but the Mexican
account is fairly consistent, and it satisfactorily disposes of the
newspaper romance in which it was claimed that Carlotta had taken these
pearls with her to Europe and that they had been buried in a casket in
the Adriatic Sea.
Recent Auction Sales. In
England and in France, more than in the United States, great auction
sales of jewels are common. They are held in London, principally at
Christie's, originally a coffee house, established in 1880; and in
Paris, at the Hôtel Drouot. Good prices are generally realized, as the
buyers of the entire continent attend these great sales. The purchases
are usually made by dealers who frequently do not neglect each other's
interests if private buyers are present. No matter how great may be
the amount involved, no matter whether the collections consist of
paintings, furniture, or jewels, there are always buyers, to a much
greater extent than in the United States. The price for fine jewels may
naturally vary a trifle in the different markets, according to the
conditions of payment. It must evidently make an appreciable difference
whether almost the entire amount is paid in cash or whether a credit of
thirty days is extended, or one for a much longer period, in some
countries for as long as one, two, or even three years.
While
in the United States such sales of valuable jewels are very unusual, it
has been a custom in England and in France for many years, in the
settlement of estates, to sell not only the furniture, bric-à-brac,
etc., but also the jewels. Sales of this kind are naturally calculated
to attract not only the dealers, but also many rich Collectors and
connoisseurs, and as they are frequently widely advertised, and London
and Paris are, at the most, but one to two days' journey from all parts
of Europe, many people attend, most of the private buyers being
represented by their agents. By means of these sales many heirlooms,
which have been handed down from generation to generation, often
