be
strung and thus carried with greater security by the owner. The fact
that most of the pearls on the market are drilled shows again that we
are dependent for our supply on these accumulations which are the
result of centuries of pearl fishing, and until four or five years ago
large numbers of these old pearls were lured from their ancient owners
by the large prices offered. But now even this supply, limited as it
must be, is beginning to dwindle. Lastly, great difficulties are now
encountered in securing pearls from these sources. A pearl syndicate
has been formed which collects all the pearls it can secure in all
parts of the East, ships them to London and Paris, and then demands
such high prices that often a whole year must be consumed in dickering
before a bargain can finally be reached. Taken together, all these
reasons explain why pearls have advanced so rapidly in price, and also
why fine large pearls have increased most rapidly in value. It would
also appear from this, that since the supply is so inadequate to the
demand, pearls, and especially fine ones, must inevitably advance
greatly in the future.
In
conclusion Mr. Nissen says that "the coming into the market of a really
fine twenty to twenty-five grain pearl is almost as much
