﻿[9] 
  

  

  PEARLS 
  AT 
  TAHITI 
  AND 
  TUAMOTU. 
  

  

  361 
  

  

  The 
  Auckland 
  mother-of-pearl 
  is 
  grayish 
  and 
  small, 
  hardly 
  ever 
  ex- 
  

   ceeding 
  20 
  centimeters 
  in 
  diameter 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  worth 
  from 
  $388 
  to 
  $485 
  per 
  

   ton, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  demand. 
  The 
  smallest 
  shells 
  exported 
  measure 
  

   5 
  to 
  6 
  centimeters 
  [about 
  2 
  inches] 
  in 
  diameter. 
  

  

  The 
  Zanzibar 
  mother-of-pearl 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  smallest 
  and 
  also 
  least 
  ex- 
  

   pensive 
  kinds. 
  The 
  diameter 
  of 
  the 
  finest 
  shells 
  does 
  not 
  exceed 
  10 
  cen- 
  

   timeters 
  [nearly 
  4 
  inches], 
  and 
  does 
  not 
  sell 
  for 
  more 
  than 
  from 
  $145 
  to 
  

   $195 
  per 
  ton. 
  These 
  shells, 
  however, 
  are. 
  pleasing 
  to 
  the 
  eye, 
  having 
  

   azure 
  and 
  copper-colored 
  edges. 
  Only 
  very 
  few 
  are 
  found. 
  

  

  The 
  Panama 
  mother-of-pearl 
  reaches 
  a 
  maximum 
  diameter 
  of 
  15 
  cen- 
  

   timeters 
  [nearly 
  G 
  inches]. 
  The 
  edge 
  is 
  somewhat 
  yellowish, 
  and 
  the 
  

   center 
  rather 
  white. 
  It 
  resembles 
  the 
  Mexican 
  mother-of-pearl 
  called 
  

   "Mazatlan," 
  except 
  in 
  the 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  border, 
  which 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  is 
  

   bluish 
  green. 
  Panama 
  mother-of-pearl 
  is 
  worth 
  $242.50 
  per 
  ton. 
  

  

  The 
  mother-of-pearl 
  called 
  " 
  Banda 
  " 
  is 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  neighborhood 
  of 
  

   Manila, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  Strait 
  of 
  Malacca. 
  It 
  has 
  a 
  deep 
  gray 
  color, 
  is 
  not 
  

   very 
  transparent, 
  rarely 
  reaches 
  a 
  diameter 
  of 
  10 
  centimeters 
  [G 
  inches], 
  

   and 
  is 
  worth 
  $194 
  per 
  ton. 
  It 
  comes 
  to 
  Europe 
  by 
  way 
  of 
  the 
  Neth- 
  

   erlands 
  or 
  Marseilles. 
  

  

  The 
  Sydney 
  mother-of-pearl 
  is 
  gray, 
  and 
  somewhat 
  resembles 
  the 
  

   Banda, 
  only 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  little 
  thicker, 
  and 
  is 
  worth 
  $242.50 
  per 
  ton. 
  

  

  Liverpool, 
  London, 
  and 
  Hamburg 
  are 
  the 
  largest 
  markets 
  in 
  Europe 
  

   for 
  the 
  sale 
  of 
  mother-of-pearl. 
  In 
  these 
  ports 
  mother-of-pearl 
  and 
  

   other 
  valuable 
  shells 
  arrive 
  in 
  considerable 
  quantities 
  from 
  nearly 
  all 
  

   the 
  fisheries 
  in 
  the 
  world. 
  

  

  An 
  English 
  newspaper, 
  bearing 
  date 
  of 
  February 
  4, 
  1885, 
  published 
  

   the 
  following 
  price-list 
  per 
  hundredweight 
  for 
  mother-of-pearl 
  during 
  

   1884 
  and 
  1S85 
  : 
  

  

  Mother-of-pearl 
  is 
  subject 
  to 
  the 
  caprice 
  of 
  fashion 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  whim 
  of 
  

   the 
  moment. 
  During 
  the 
  last 
  few 
  years 
  the 
  black-edged 
  Tahiti 
  mother- 
  

   of-pearl 
  was 
  preferred 
  to 
  the 
  white. 
  At 
  present 
  the 
  latter, 
  although 
  

   more 
  common, 
  is 
  the 
  more 
  expensive 
  and 
  more 
  highly 
  prized. 
  Very 
  

  

  