accordingly, while a chalky, dull gray or 

 an inferior yellowish appearance may bring 

 the value down, be the pearl ever so perfect 

 in shape, to less than a tenth of that of a 

 first-class gem. Good nuggets and rose 

 baroques usually bring from five to ten 

 dollars per grain. Turtle backs and hinge 

 baroques from ten cents to two dollars 

 per grain. 



Imperfections 



Absolute perfection in pearls as in other 

 gems is exceedingly rare. Besides irregu- 

 larities in shape, many pearls in their growth 

 develop rings, pits and roughnesses. These 

 injure the beauty and therefore the value of 

 the gems. As before stated, a slight imper- 

 fection of any kind will reduce the value of 

 a pearl greatly. But of all imperfections a 

 lustreless, lifeless character is the worst. 

 A pearl may lack symmetry, have pits on its 

 surface and rings about its circumference, 

 but if lustrous will still be worth something. 

 Without lustre it is valueless. Many pearls 

 are smooth and of good shape but have a 

 milky appearance. This is a fault of most 

 of the pearls found in our Eastern streams. 

 Others have yellowish, greenish or brownish 

 patches and still others a bluish, leaden cast. 

 The Panama pearls often show this quality. 

 All these imperfections detract greatly from 

 or wholly ruin the beauty of the gem. A 

 first-class pearl should be symmetrical, 

 smooth, free from spots or flaws of any kind 



