The Book of the Pearl: The history, art, science, and industry of the queen of gemsKunz, George Frederick
History
The Book of the Pearl: The history, art, science, and industry of the queen of gems
Kunz, George Frederick
Pearls
In the archduchy of Austria, pearls occur in several of the tributaries
of the “beautiful blue Danube.” They are especially important in streams
within the former district of Schärding, such as the Ludhammerbach, the
Ranzenbergerbach, the Glatzbachenbach, the Brambach, the
Schwarzbergerbach, the Mosenbach, and the Hollenbach; those in the
former district of Waizkirchen, including the Pirningerbach, the
Kesselbach, and many of their tributary brooks, and the Michel, the
Taglinsbach, the Fixelbach, and the Haarbach, in the domain of
Marbach.[224] Fishing in the Pirningerbach and the Kesselbach was
prosperous about 1765, and Empress Maria Theresa received a beautiful
necklace and bracelets of the pearls therefrom. In the district of
Marbach, the fishing was prosecuted as long ago as 1685 for the account
of the archbishop of Passau.
In Hungary from time immemorial, the native pearls have been popular
with the Magyar women, and very many yet exist in the old Hungarian
jewelry worn with the national costume. A century ago there was scarcely
a family of local prominence which did not possess a necklace of pearls,
although these were frequently not of choice quality or of considerable
size. With a falling off in the output of the native streams there has
been a great increase in the quantity of choice oriental pearls
purchased by the wealthy families, and some of the most costly necklaces
in Europe are now owned here.
In the kingdom of Denmark no pearl fisheries are now prosecuted, but
three centuries ago the gems were taken in the Kolding Fjord in the
province of Veile, Jutland. The great Holberg, who ranks first in Danish
literature, wrote that the governor of the castle at Kolding employed as
a pearl fisherman a Greenlander who had come to Denmark in 1605 or 1606,
and who “had given the governor to understand that in his native land he
was accustomed to fish for pearls.” Being required to work continuously,
both winter and summer, he fell ill and died, and as no one else wished
to pursue the occupation, the fishery ceased.[225]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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