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 Mounds and Graves 485
 
  Bibliography 517
 
  Index 541