64 PEARLS [CH. 



black ! A really black pearl is a gem of some value, 

 but most so-called black pearls are merely deep 

 shades of brown, or dirty blue. Nearly all the 

 varieties of colour are to be found amongst fi'esh- 

 water pearls. This agrees with the statement made 

 long ago by the Venerable Bede to the effect that 

 the British pearls were " of all the best colours — that 

 is, both red and purple, jacynth and green, but 

 principally white." It is quite easy to see that a 

 series of selected pearls in a necklace will be of 

 greater value than individual pearls of the same size. 

 It is said in fact that if you match a pearl with 

 another, you double the value of each of them. The 

 reason of course is the difficulty experienced in 

 finding amidst specimens which vary so much in tint, 

 lustre and shape, two that will stand the test of being 

 viewed together. For definitions of some of the 

 many names applied to pearls, reference should be 

 made to the glossary at the end of the book. 



It is not surprising, in the present day of imitation, 

 that we should find remarkably good artificial pearls. 

 By artificial pearls I mean actually manufactured 

 articles, and not those structures which are secreted 

 by the molluscs after stimulation by man. That is 

 artificial stimulation, and the "pearls" produced are 

 eally on ly "blisters." Very many of these imitation 

 pearls come from France, where, as a matter of fact, 

 the industry was created. 



