Copyright, 1907, by Theo. C. Marceau, N. Y.

MRS. GEORGE J. GOULD

At the sale of the jewels of Lady Henry Gordon-Lennox, held at Christie’s on May 12, 1907, a splendid necklace was offered. It comprised 287 graduated pearls of the finest orient, disposed in five rows, with a large circular pearl. This magnificent ornament was sold for £25,500 ($127,500).

On July 11, 1907, a splendid necklace of forty-nine graduated pearls, of fine luster and carefully matched, was sold at auction by Debenham and Storr of London, for the sum of £5600 ($28,000). At the same sale a single-row necklace of forty-five pearls brought £5300 ($26,500), and a rope of oriental pearls realized £4500 ($22,500).

At the auction sale of the collection of the late Bishop Bubics of Hungary, among other objects, a very handsome saber pouch was offered, of the style worn by the Hungarian hussars. It was of green silk and richly embroidered with hundreds of pearls of varying sizes. After a spirited competition this pouch was sold to Prince Esterhazy for 13,500 crowns ($2700). Some time after the sale a letter from the late bishop was found, containing the statement that he had borrowed the ornament from the jewel-room of the Princess Esterhazy. Naturally, Prince Esterhazy was not called upon to pay the amount of his bid. It is a gratification to know that at least one of the remarkable Magyar jeweled ornaments has escaped the cupidity of enterprising jewelers who have broken up so many of these ornaments for the gems which they contained.

A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL GREAT PEARLS OF HISTORY
 
  Weight
Charles the Bold’s Pearls. Three, each about 60 grains
Gomara Pearl, 31 carats 124 grains
Oviedo Pearl, 26 carats  
  (probably the Morales or Pizarro Pearl) 104 grains
La Peregrina 134 grains
Charles II’s Pearl, (nearly equal to La Peregrina)  
Morales and Pizarro Pearl, 26 carats 104 grains
Rudolph II’s Pearl, 30 carats 120 grains
Tavernier’s Pearls:  
  Shah Sofi’s Pearl (estimated) 500 grains
  Imam of Muscat’s Pearl, 12116 carats 48¼ grains
  Shaista Khan Pearl, 55 carats 220 grains
Great Mogul’s Pearls:  
  Peacock Throne Pearl 200 grains
  Two pear-shaped, one about 70 ratis 186.2 grains
  Olive-shaped pearl (estimated) 125 grains
  One button-shaped, 55–60 ratis 146.3–159.6 grains
  One round pearl, 56 ratis (gift of the Shah Abbas II) 148.9 grains
  Round pearl (estimated)[526] 110 grains
  Three yellowish pearls, 25–28 ratis 66.5–74.5 grains
  One perfectly round pearl, 35½ ratis 94½ grains
  Two perfectly shaped and equal, each 25¼ ratis 67.1 grains
La Reine des Perles 109¼ grains
Pearls of Maria Theresa’s Necklace (three) 92–100 grains
La Régente (now owned by Princess Yousoupoff) 337 grains
La Pellegrina 111½ grains
The Ynaffit, pear-shaped 143⅛ grains
Hope Pearl, drop-shaped baroque 1800 grains
  Also in the Hope Collection:  
  Conical pearl 151 grains
  Bouton pearl 124 grains
  Oval pearl 94 grains
  Roughly spherical pearl 89 grains
  Acorn-shaped pearl 85 grains
  Oval conch pearl 82¼ grains
  Button-shaped conch pearl 77½ grains
  Drop-shaped pearl 76½ grains
  Pear-shaped Scotch pearl 34¾ grains
Van Buren Pearls:  
  Two, each about 30 grains
  Also necklace 148 pearls 700 grains
Tiffany Queen Pearl, American 93 grains
Black bouton earring-pearl 88 grains
White bouton earring-pearl 93 grains
Bapst Pearls, two 113¼ and 113¾ grains
Round pearl of Paris Exposition of 1889 70 grains
Mme. Nordica’s Pearl (abalone) 175 grains
Great Bahama Conch Pearl 138¼ grains
The Queen Conch Pearl 90 grains
W. H. Moore’s Pearl (Arkansas pearl, brown) 122½ grains
Shark’s Bay Pearl, golden yellow 30½ grains
Rudolph II Crown Pearl, 26 carats 104 grains
Carlotta’s Pearl, pear-shaped 84 grains
Marquis of Anglesey’s Pearl, drop-shaped 105½ grains
Black pear-shaped pearl (Lower California) 49 grains