THE PEARL OYSTER. 939 



The Gulf of California contributes a black pearl, and fully 

 nine-tenths of the black pearls bought and sold throughout 

 the world come from that section. They are very hand- 

 some and valuable. 



" The great objection to American fresh water pearls is 

 their lack of uniformity in shape, size, or colour. The 

 oriental pearls are pure white, and, in almost every instance, 

 as perfectly round as nature can make them. The Ameri- 

 can gems are nearly all button-shaped. They are also 

 varied in colour. The Wisconsin pearls vary from a light 

 purple to a dark brown, though there are some of a deli- 

 cate pink, which are extremely beautiful. Here are some 

 Wisconsin specimens. That one has a metallic lustre, 

 this is a pure purple, and here is another entirely brown. 

 The lustre is not as bright as those from the Indian 

 .Ocean, salt water having, I suppose, something to do with 

 it. These Wisconsin pearls are valued at from $300 to 

 500 each. 



" Very few white pearls are found in America. Those 

 we have come from the Big and Little Miami Rivers in 

 Ohio. Here is one valued at $900. These Miami pearls 

 are also the most brilliant. Some very handsome pearls 

 are found in Tennessee, and the rivers and creeks of that 

 state are regularly fished every summer when the water is 

 low. Whenever pearls are found they are purchased by 

 the local storekeepers, who forward them to New York. 

 In valuing a pearl, its size, brilliancy, colour, and weight 

 are taken into consideration. 



" The American pearl is well known in Europe, being 

 chiefly valued for its oddity and prismatic colours. No- 

 body can give an estimate of the value of the yearly har- 

 vest, for though this house receives the larger part of the 

 best specimens, there are thousands sold we never hear of." 



