202 PEARLS AND PEARLING 



trating the remarkable variety of ornaments and jewelry 

 used in India for more than 2,000 years. The first divi- 

 sion contains many valuable gems including some beauti- 

 ful pearls set in jewelry and embellished with rich red 

 and green enamels peculiar to the Indian work. 



The third division consists principally of necklaces 

 and head ornaments. These are especially noted for the 

 large number of pearls that are used in their construc- 

 tion. 



A pair of ear-rings of red and green enamel and pearls 

 from Goa add to the value of the collection of pearls in 

 this division. 



Other cases contain necklaces and other valuable jewels 

 from Brahma Amritsar, Jeypore, Kathiawar and Colum- 

 bia. 



All who visit this department of the museum will find 

 the display of pearls and pearl jewelry of great in- 

 terest. One of the very remarkable features of this 

 collection of gems is the care that is taken of the col- 

 lection. Probably no collection of European crown 

 jewels is guarded more vigilently than the gems of the 

 Field Museum. Day and night armed guards watch in- 

 side the room, while the outside is constantly protected 

 by patrolmen. In addition the jewel cases are protected 

 by a very ingenious and complicated electrical system. 

 Any slight change in the cases causes alarm bells to ring 

 in every part of the museum. Even the shelves which 

 the jewels are mounted upon are balanced in such a deli- 

 cate manner that the removal of even the smallest gem 

 destroys the equilibrium of the shelf and sounds another 



