“But I said the mollusc that really forms the pearl is the pearl-oyster—the Meleagrina margaritifera pintadines. The pearl is only a nacreous concretion which is disposed in a globular shape. It adheres to the oyster-shell, or encrusts itself in the body of the animal. Upon the shells the pearl adheres, in the flesh it is loose; but in any case it possesses a little hard nucleus, which may be a barren-egg–a grain of sand around which the nacreous matter has been disposed, during many years, by delicate and concentric layers.”
“Are many pearls found in one oyster?” asked Conseil.
“Yes; there are certain ‘pintadines’ which form a regular casket of pearls. I have heard of an oyster—though I rather doubt the story—which contained no less than 150 sharks!”
“A hundred and fifty sharks!” exclaimed Ned.
“Did I say sharks?” I cried quickly, “I meant pearls; sharks would be absurd.”
“Of course,” said Conseil. “But Monsieur has not yet told us how the pearls are obtained.”
“In many ways, and frequently when the pearls adhere to the shells, the divers tear them with pincers. But more commonly the ‘pintadines’ are extended on the esparto fibres which are laid on the banks. They then die in the open air, and at the end of ten days they are in a satisfactory state of putrefaction. They are then thrown into large reservoirs of salt water, and are then opened and washed. At this period the real labour of the sorters begins. First they separate the layers of mother-of-pearl, known in commerce as franche argentée, bastard whites and bastard blacks, which are sent off in cases of 200 or 300 pounds each. The ‘parenchyma’ of the oyster is then raised, boiled, and sifted for the pearls.”
