THE BOOK OF THE PEARL [Illustration: THE CZARINA OF RUSSIA ] [Illustration] THE BOOK OF THE PEARL THE HISTORY, ART, SCIENCE, AND INDUSTRY OF THE QUEEN OF GEMS BY GEORGE FREDERICK KUNZ, A.M., Ph.D. AND CHARLES HUGH STEVENSON, LL.M., D.C.L. Orient pearls fit for a queen Will I give thy love to win, And a shell to keep them in. —_The Faithful Shepherdess (1611)_ [Illustration] NEW YORK THE CENTURY CO. 1908 Copyright, 1908, by THE CENTURY CO. _Published October, 1908_ THE DE VINNE PRESS TO MARGARET, THE PEARL AS A SLIGHT MARK OF APPRECIATION BY THE AUTHORS OF HER FATHER’S GENEROUS ENCOURAGEMENT OF SCIENCE, ART, ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY, AND LITERATURE ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE INTRODUCTION xv I PEARLS AMONG THE ANCIENTS 3 II MEDIEVAL AND MODERN HISTORY OF PEARLS 15 III ORIGIN OF PEARLS 35 IV STRUCTURE AND FORMS OF PEARLS 51 V SOURCES OF PEARLS 65 VI THE PEARL FISHERIES OF THE PERSIAN GULF 85 VII EAST AFRICAN PEARL FISHERIES 153 VIII PEARL FISHERIES OF THE BRITISH ISLES 159 IX PEARL FISHERIES OF THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS 189 X PEARL FISHERIES OF VENEZUELA 225 XI PEARL-CULTURE AND PEARL-FARMING 285 XII MYSTICAL AND MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF PEARLS 301 XIII VALUES AND COMMERCE OF PEARLS 319 XIV TREATMENT AND CARE OF PEARLS 375 XV PEARLS AS USED IN ORNAMENTS AND DECORATION 403 XVI FAMOUS PEARLS AND COLLECTIONS 449 XVII THE ABORIGINAL USE OF PEARLS, AND THEIR DISCOVERY IN 485 MOUNDS AND GRAVES BIBLIOGRAPHY 517 INDEX 541 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS