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| Brooch Western Europe ca. 1830 silver, gold, diamonds, emeralds, ruby, pearls Victoria & Albert Museum, London |
PEARL – A nacreous concretion formed within the shell of various bivalve molluscs around some foreign body (e.g. a grain of sand) composed of filmy layers of carbonate of lime interstratified with animal membrane; it is of hard smooth texture, of globular, pear-shaped, oval or irregular form, and of various colors, usually white or bluish-gray; often having a beautiful lustre, and hence highly prized as a gem; formerly also used in medicine.
1698 John Fryer. A New Account of East India and Persia.
The Pearl is a Jewel supposed to be the Geniture of a shell-fish . . . congealed into a very fair, transparent, Diaphanous, beautiful Stone.
1774 Oliver Goldsmith. A History of the Earth and Animated Nature.
Whether pearls be a disease or an accident in the animal is scarce worth enquiry.
1846 Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Letters Addressed to R.H. Horne.
All your kindness is pure, entire, pearl-like for roundness and completeness.
1879 Edward Dowden. Life of Robert Southey.
It is October that brings most often those days faultless, pearl-pure, of affecting influence.
– definition and citations, Oxford English Dictionary
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| Earrings England ca. 1850 colored gold, pearls Victoria & Albert Museum, London |
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| Necklace England ca. 1850 colored gold, pearls Victoria & Albert Museum, London |
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| Ring England ca. 1810-20 gold, diamonds, emeralds, pearls Victoria & Albert Museum, London |
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| Earrings France ca. 1860-70 enameled-gold, diamonds, pearls Victoria & Albert Museum, London |
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| Brooch France 1855 enameled-gold, garnets, emeralds, rubies, amethysts, pearls, glass beads Victoria & Albert Museum, London |
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| Earrings Italy ca. 1820-67 gold, pearls, garnets Victoria & Albert Museum, London |
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| Earrings Hungary ca. 1700 enameled silver-gilt, emeralds, garnets, pearls Victoria & Albert Museum, London |
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| Pendant Western Europe late 16th century enameled-gold, emerald, pearls Victoria & Albert Museum, London |
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| Pendant The Canning Jewel ca. 1800-1860 enameled gold, diamonds, emeralds, rubies, pearls Victoria & Albert Museum, London |
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| Pendant Western Europe late 16th century gold, ruby, pearls Victoria & Albert Museum, London |
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| Pendant Western Europe ca. 1700 gold, silver, diamonds, pearl Victoria & Albert Museum, London |
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| Cloak Clasp Henry Wilson, England ca. 1914 enameled-gold, sapphires, emeralds, pearls Victoria & Albert Museum, London |
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| Brooch John Donald, England 1969 gold, pearl Victoria & Albert Museum, London |
I am grateful to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London for the excellent images.