For many miles along the Condatchy shore, the accumulation of shells is enormous, and averages at least 4 ft. in thickness. This is not to be wondered at, when it is remem bered that this fishery has been in active operation for at least 2,000 years. The place itself is exceedingly barren and dreary, and, except during the fishing season, is almost deserted; but at that time it presents an exceedingly animated spectacle; thousands of people, of various countries and castes, are here drawn together—some for the fishery, others to and others to feed the multitude. They chiefly reside in tents, so that it appears a vast encampmeat.
The pearls vary much in size; those as large as 'a pea, and of good color and form, are the best, except unusually large specimens, which rarely occur, the most extraordin ary one known being the pearl owned by the late Mr. Hope, which measured 2 in. in length, and 4 in circumference, and weighed 1,800 grains. The smaller ones are sorted into sizes, the very smallest being called seed-pearls. A considerable quantity of these last are sent to China, where they are said to be calcined, and used in Chinese phar macy. Amongst the Romans, the pearl was a great favorite, and enormous prices were paid for fine ones. One author gives the value of a string of pearls at 1,000,000 sesterces, or about £8,000 sterling. The single pearl which Cleopatra is said to have dissolved and swallowed was valued 280,729; and one of the same value was cut into two pieces for ear-rings for the statue of Venus in the Pantheon at Rome. Coming down to later times, we read of a pefrl, in queen Elizabeth's reign, belonging to sir Thomas Gresham, which was valued at £15,000, and which lie is said to have treated after the fashion of Cleo patra; for he powdered it and drank it in a glass of wine to the health of the queen, in order to astonish the ambassador of Spain, with whom he had laid a wh,ger that he would give a more costly dinner than could the Spaniard.
During the occupation of Britain by the Romans this country became famous for its pearls, which were found in the fresh-water mussel of our rivers. See FRESH-WATER Mussim. Generally the pearls of this mollusk are small, badly colored, and often value less; but occasionly they occur of such beauty as to rival those of the pearl-oyster. Some year ago, in the Scotch rivers, the search for pearls was prosecuted vigorously, especially by a merchant named Unger, of Edinburgh, who had brought Scotch pearls into great repute. He collected specimens ranging, as was stated, from £5 to £90 each, and formed a necklace said to be worth £350. In Scotch pearls of the highest quality, there is a pleasing pinkish tint, which is very permanent. The fishing for pearl-mussels is by no means so dangerous or troublesome as for pearl-oysters; usually they are found -in the beds of streams, shallow enough to wade in, and so clear that they can be seen at the bottom. If too deep to remove with the hand, they are easily captured by putting a
stick between their gaping shells, which instantly close upon it, and can be drawn out with it. So profitable did this pursuit become that a great many persons engaged in it. . Very fine river pearls, known on the continent as Bohemian pearls, are found in the rivers of Moldau and Wottawa. There is also a fresh-water pearl fishery in Bavaria, where the river Iltz yields at times very fine specimens Even the most inferior pearls have a market value; for pearls can only be properly polished with pearl dust. and the inferior pearls are powered for the purpose of polishing and rounding the finer ones.
T'atse pearls are very admirable imitations, made by blowing very thin beads or bulbs of glass, and pouring into them a mixture of liquid ammonia, and the white matter from the Scales of the bleak, and sometimes of the roach, and dace. The proper way to prepare the pearl matter is first to remove the scales of the lower part of the these, must then be very carefully washed, after which they are put to soak in water, when the pearly-film falls off and forms a sediment at the bottom of the vessel, which is removed and placed in liquid ammonia for future use. This pearl mixture, when of the best quality, is very costly, being as much as £4 or £5 per ounce. For use it is diluted with ammonia, and injected into the 'glass beads, so as to thinly coat them inside; afterward the better kinds have melted white wax poured in, which renders them much more durable. The French and Germans produce in this way imitations of the finest oriental pearls of such beauty that the most practiced eye can hardly detect the differ ence. The bleak is procured in considerable quaatitiefor this purpose from the Thames and other rivers in England See BLEAK; The invention of artificial pearls is due to a Frenchmen, named Jaquin, in the time of Catharine de' Medici, and the manufacture is now chiefly carried on in the department of the Seine, where great improvements have lately been made, especially in the art of giving the irregular forms of large pearls to the glass bulbs, and thus increasing the resemblance, and in removing the glassy appearance caused by the exterior glass coating, by exposing it for a short period to the action of the vapor of hydrofluoric acid. Mucilage of fine gum arable is also used instead of wax, which increases the translucency, gives greater weight, and is not liable to melt with the heat of the wearer's body—a defect to which those filled with wax are very liable.
Roman pearls differ from other artificial pearls, by having the of pearly matter on the outside, to which it is attached by an adhesive, substance. The art of making these was derived from the Chinese.