268 Pearls. 



extensive treasures of Pearls, collected In the course 

 of ages, and surpassing in magnificence anything 

 likely to have reached the hands of collectors in 

 the west of Europe. Yet no vestige of their wealth 

 has come down to us. 



It would seem that black Pearls were not re- 

 garded as objects of value by the ancients. At any 

 rate, we have not met with any mention of them 

 by mediaeval writers. Even thirty years ago they 

 were but little esteemed. A perfect round black 

 Pearl weighing eight grains was bought for £\, for 

 which at the present day ;^ioo would be gladly 

 given. The great increase in value of these Pearls 

 dates from the time of the Empress Eugenie, the 

 wife of Napoleon IIL, who set the fashion of wearing 

 black in preference to white Pearls. The Empress 

 possessed a famous necklace, consisting of a row of 

 matchless black Pearls, for which the large sum of 

 ;£'4000 was obtained when it was sold at Messrs. 

 Christie's, after the overthrow of the Imperial dynasty. 

 The Pearl forming the snap was subsequently sold 

 at Christie's to the Marquis of Bath for looo guineas, 

 to form the centre of a bracelet. The demand then 

 began to be greater than the supply, and the market 

 price has continued to rise until the present time. 



Another instance may be given of the low 

 esteem in which the black Pearl was held abroad. 



