Motlier-of-Pcarl and its Uses. 379 



proportion among the larger shells. The medium and 

 small sorts, being the cleanest, bring higher rates in com- 

 parison with the larger kinds. They should always be of a 

 bold, fine, good, clear white colour and substance, and not 

 broken. 



Fashion, in this as in other manufactures, has much to 

 do with the price and supply of the raw material. About 

 1 5 years ago the black-edged shell, often termed " smoked 

 pearl," was in much demand for the large dark buttons 

 worn on ladies' paletots, gentlemen's waistcoats, shooting 

 coats, etc., but these have gone somewhat out of fashion. 

 Other shells of a deep, dark, iridescent hue were imported 

 largely some 30 or 40 years ago, and, having only a 

 nominal value, were buried in piles in the earth at Bir- 

 mingham ; a demand having again sprung up for them, 

 many instances have occurred in which they have been 

 dug up and used. An anecdote was recently told me by a 

 large wholesale shell-merchant in London, of a workman 

 in Birmingham having volunteered to dig up his neigh- 

 bour's yard or garden free. The offer being declined, the 

 man persisted, agreeing to give 5 if he might be allowed 

 to do it, and cart away the rubbish. Consent was at last 

 obtained, and the digger cleared 20 by the pearl shells he 

 thus obtained and sold. My informant also told me that 

 the Town Hall of Birmingham is built on such mounds of 

 these shells that it would almost pay, at present prices, to 

 pull it down and rebuild it for the sake of the shells that 

 could be thus obtained. 



The use of pearl for hafting cutlery, the handles of 

 dessert knives and forks, fruit-knives, etc., is not so general 

 as it used to be ; not many years ago 100 tons were em- 

 ployed annually in Sheffield for this purpose. The only 

 nacreous shells possessing sufficient thickness for Sheffield 



