Pearls and the Pearl Fisheries, 433 



The example of Cleopatra found an imitator even in 

 sober England. Sir Thomas Gresham, not otherwise 

 famous for acts of folly, still so mistook the meaning of 

 loyalty that he ground a pearl, which had cost him £ 1 5,000, 

 into a cup of wine in order thus fitly to drink the health of 

 his great queen ! 



The pearl belonging to the Shah of Persia, seen by 

 Tavernius in 1633, was valued at 32,000 tomans, equal at 

 that time to double the number of pounds sterling. It 

 is said to have been obtained at Catifa, in Arabia, where 

 a pearl fishery existed in the time of Pliny. It was pear- 

 shaped, perfect in all respects, and nearly three inches 

 long. This pearl is believed to be the one which was in 

 possession of the late King of Persia, Fateh Ali Shah. 



A pearl presented by the republic of Venice to Soliman, 

 the Emperor of the Turks, was valued at ;^ 16,000. The large 

 pearl in the crown of the Emperor Rudolph II. weighed 30 

 carats, and was the size of a pear. (J) Pope Leo X. bought 

 a pearl of a Venetian jeweller for the sum of ^14,000. A 

 lady in Madrid, in the year 1605, wore an American pearl 

 which cost 31,000 ducats. 



A large Java pearl, curiously set, was shown at Madrid 

 a few years ago. It was made to represent a siren, or 

 mermaid, dressing her hair ; her body was formed of the 

 pearl, which was of a long oval form, and beautifully pure 

 white ; the head and arms were of white enamel, and the 

 lower extremity, forming the fish, of green enamel. The 

 whole was finely carved, and on the girdle were the 

 following words : " Fallunt aspectus cantusque syrenis." 



The niost beautiful pearl known is in the Museum of 

 Zosima, in Moscow. It weighs very nearly 28 carats. It is 

 perfectly globular, and so beautifully brilliant that at first 

 sight it appears transparent. It was bought by Zosima at 



2 F 



