IMPERFECT PEARLS How TO IMPROVE 193 



were soon killed, and then the pearls were removed from 

 them. A plan which has become popular is to let servants 

 wear them. This often improves the luster. 



When the outer stratum is unusually bad, the pearl is 

 improved by "peeling," although the next layer may also 

 be imperfect. Some are greatly improved by experts 

 who use secret preparations and methods. 



Checked pearls are very common. The imperfections 

 are often noticed under the outside strata and are gen- 

 erally caused by the drying out of the inner layers of 

 the pearls. They are rather risky to keep as the check is 

 a serious imperfection which is liable to grow worse. 

 Such pearls do not command high prices. 



Baroques are always imperfect pearls. They are often 

 mounted in very attractive designs which represent vari- 

 ous figures. Often these are made to represent the bust 

 of some famous person or resemble a bird or animal. 

 The large number of the baroque designs are only lim- 

 ited by the imagination of the jewelers. 



Many baroques are improved by scraping away dull or 

 dead portions of the gems. 



The improvement of imperfect pearls is sometimes 

 done in an unfair manner. Such pearls should always 

 be sold without misrepresentation. There are, however, 

 honorable and legitimate methods and pearl hunters 

 should use any fair system to increase the usefulness and 

 value of any imperfect pearls they may find. 



