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, 121⁄16 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 | |