CHAPTER I 



THE HISTORY OF PEARLS 



The use of pearls as jewels and their recognition 

 as objects of value date back into the far beyond 

 when the histories of ancient peoples were transcribed 

 upon papyrus. It is very likely that pearls were 

 amongst the earliest gems known to man, and this 

 is not surprising when one considers that the earliest 

 dwellers by the sea probably fed upon the shellfish 

 which produce such objects. 



The modern recognition of the pearl dates back 

 to about 300 B.c. and was due, no doubt, to the mad 

 desire of the Romans for luxury and treasure ; but 

 although pearls seem to have played a less conspicuous 

 part in Ancient Greece and Egypt, they were known 

 to yet older peoples, and especially to those of the 

 East. The Old Testament only refers to pearls once, 

 in the book of Job (chap, xxviii), where it is written, 

 " No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls ; for 

 the price of wisdom is above rubies." None of the 

 terms, however, refer with any certainty to the ob- 

 jects now known by such names. The names of gems 



D. 1 



