l\n PEARLS [CH. 



enter into the question. It is primarily judged by 

 size or weight, but this may be modified altogether 

 by the shape, lustre, colour and perfection of the 

 pearl geneially. One or two details of interest may, 

 however, be given. In the first place, the value of 

 l)earls is reckoned not on the weight, but on the 

 S(iuare of the weight. 



The pearl grain, which is a fraction of a carat, is 

 the unit, and a base price is the value of this unit. 

 What the base price may actually be, we shall not 

 attempt to estimate. If, however, the base value of 

 a 1 -grain pearl is taken as being 20.s'., then the value 

 of a 2-grain pearl would be 2 x 2. (205.) = £4. A 

 r)-grain pearl would be worth (5 x 5). 20s. = £25. 

 Even this method does not hold good for very large 

 pearls of perfect lustre. The carat and grain both 

 vary in the ditterent countries in which they are used, 

 although a very representative circle of pearl mer- 

 chants is now upholding a metric system carat which 

 equals 200 milligrammes. 



So far as the value of mother-of-pearl shell is 

 concerned, the following figures may be given. The 

 values are, however, always liable to much fluctuation 

 and tliese figures are not of quite recent date. Poit 

 Darwin shell (Xorth Australia), £8— £9. 108. Od. per 

 cwt. ; Queensland shell, £H — £11 per cwt. ; West 

 Australian shell, £8— £9 per cwt. (1910). 



Reference has been made in the chapter on 



