30 Pearls. 



large holes drilled through them. They had been 

 obtained from the troops in exchange, and still 

 had pieces of gold hanging from them, just as 

 they had been snatched from the idols which they 

 had decorated. The value of these Pearls was about 



;£'20,000. 



Persia. 



The passion for Pearls, which at all times was 

 strongly marked among the Medes and Persians, 

 probably reached its zenith after the victory over 

 Croesus. Pearls were prized by the Persians more 

 highly than gold, or any other article of adorn- 

 ment. All the early Queens of Persia are repre- 

 sented as wearing ear-rings composed of three 

 Pearls graduated in size, one above the other, the 

 largest being at the bottom. The portraits of 

 Sassanian kings, shew a Pearl of great size, pendant 

 from the right ear. The Persian nobles also wore 

 in the right ear a golden ornament, containing 

 Pearls — a fashion which also prevailed at a later 

 period in Athens, amongst youths of noble birth. 

 The women even wore a ring through the left 

 nostril, upon which were strung three Pearls, and 

 round their head a band, from which hung pendants 

 of jewels or Pearls. The kings of the Medes 

 and Persians wore splendid bracelets and necklaces 

 of Pearls ; Pearls too were lavishly employed in 



