PEART, PRODUCTION. 33 



NATIVE CLASSIFICATION OF PEARLS. 



It may be useful if we place on record here the native system of classification 

 of pearls, which is supposed to be of extreme antiquity and is still made use of in 

 Government reports, at the fisheries and by the pearl merchants. 



We may conveniently give the procedure of the native in classifying his pearls 

 in the words of CORDINEE,^ one of the earliest English writers on the subject, as his 

 observations were made on the fisheries which took place at the beginning of last 

 century, under the Government of Lord GUILDFOKD. 



" After the pearls are separated from the sand, washed with salt water, dried, and 

 rendered perfectly clean, they are sorted into classes according to their sizes, by being 

 passed through ten brass sieves or saucers full of round holes. The saucers are 

 apparently all of one size, but made so as to go in within one another. They are 

 distinguished into numbers, 20, 30, 50, 80, 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000. This 

 is a kind of ratio to estimate the value of the different sizes of pearls ; and probally 

 the distinguishing numbers, in some measure, correspond with the quantity of holes 

 in each basin. These completely occupy the bottom of the vessel ; and as they 

 increase in number, necessarily decrease in size. The pearls are thrown in a 

 promiscuous heap into the uppermost sieve, which being raised a little and shaken, 

 the greater part of them pass through into the second sieve, and only those remain 

 which exceed a large pea in size. The second sieve is shaken in the same manner ; 

 the pearls that remain in it are of the size of a small pea, or grain of black pepper. 

 The quantity of pearls gradually increases as the size diminishes. Those which fall 

 through the tenth saucer (No. 1000) belong to the class of Tool, or seed pearls, so 

 called from the smallness of their size. 



" I saw this operation of sorting the pearls performed with the produce of seventeen 

 thousand oysters, which only weighed three-quarters of a pound, and was contained 

 in a vessel smaller than a common soup-plate. Out of that quantity there were not 

 found two perfect pearls, either of the first or second order. About twenty or thirty 

 pearls remained in these saucers, but almost all of them were slightly deformed, 

 rugged, and uneven. Of the smaller sizes many were round and perfect. 



" The pearls contained in the sieves from No. 20 to 80, inclusive, are distinguished 

 by the general name of Mell, or the first order. Those of the sieves from No. 100 to 

 1000 are denominated Vadivoo, or the second order. Both these orders are divided 

 into various sorts, according to their shape, lustre, and other qualities ; amongst which 

 are Annees, Annadaree, Kayerel, Samadiem, Kallipoo, Koorwel, Pesul, and Tool. 

 The Annees are the first sort, perfectly round, and of the most brilliant lustre. 

 Annadaree is a sub-division of them, possessing the same qualities in an inferior 

 degree. Kayerel is the next in beauty, but not so completely round, and of a duller 



* ' Description of Ceylon,' London, 1807, vol. ii., p. 62, 



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