Pearls

le mot "perles", même s'il est difficile à éviter à propos de certains articles de propagande, comporte aussi le risque, en raison même de la réputation de futilité qui l'entoure, de leur permettre d'échapper à la critique qui en certains cas ne serait pas inutile

First of an ongoing series from Danna G. Hallmark taken from a forum thread on ISG Website:
1. "If You Don't Know History, You Don't Know Squat" introduces the reader to the inefficiencies of pearl evaluation and classification today.
2. "So. Who Cares Anyway? What Does It Matter?" is a short addition of a comment from a reader.

La conquista romana del Mediterráneo oriental y de Egipto amplió los horizontes de los mercaderes ítalo-romanos como nunca antes. A los pocos años de ocupar el territorio, eran cientos las caravanas y barcos que partían anualmente hacia la India y el lejano Oriente desde las ciudades y puertos ubicados en los límites del Imperio romano. Será con Augusto cuando se sienten las bases de un mercado cada vez más globalizado, permitiendo la libre circulación de los productos más deseados por las élites urbanas de la metrópolis romana.
Esta investigación aborda mediante el análisis epigráfico de más de doscientas inscripciones funerarias quienes fueron los personajes ligados al comercio y fabricación de joyas, vestidos, tintes y ungüentos en la ciudad de Roma. Estos productos se comercializaron entre la élite de la capital y entre los consumidores selectivos que emulaban la conducta de la aristocracia romana. El marco cronológico de estudio comprende la etapa que va desde finales del periodo republicano a finales del siglo tercero d.C. Y es precisamente el momento
relacionado con el cambio de era y el primer siglo d.C. cuando se ha podido relacionar cronológicamente un mayor número de inscripciones. A su vez, poder identificar la localización de sus tiendas o talleres nos ha permitido conocer de primera mano los diversos cambios en la topografía urbana de la ciudad.
Asimismo, con el objetivo de conocer los lugares de producción o extracción de estos bienes de carácter suntuarios se han descrito las diferentes rutas intercontinentales de aprovisionamiento de estos productos. En este punto, el análisis de los diferentes agentes
implicados en este comercio permite conocer las diferentes áreas de actuación, cuáles fueron los mercados más visitados y cuál fue el rol que jugó cada una de las potencias implicadas en este intercambio. Para ello se ha estudiado cuál fue el marco común de entendimiento para establecer estas relaciones.
Los resultados obtenidos han permitido ampliar la descripción tenida hasta ahora sobre un comercio tan selecto, así como proponer nuevas hipótesis interpretativas del tema.

English:
nunc patimur longae pacis mala, saevior armis
luxuria incubuit victumque ulciscitur orbem
(JUVENAL. SAT. II, 6, 292-297)

With these words the Roman author Juvenal evokes the evils associated with unbridled lust which had pushed Rome after the conquest of the so far known world. In this sense, the conquest of the Eastern Mediterranean and the annexation of Egypt under direct control by Rome resulted in the restoration and improvement of trade routes to the East, place of origin of most luxury goods markets as valued in Rome.
As part of our thesis about the luxury trade in the city of Rome during the Early Roman Empire, where we look specifically at luxury products, we wish to introduce how new access to these goods sparked a change in Roman society. In this respect, thanks to the study of lapidary inscriptions related with actors linked to the development and sale of
exotic products can be examined a series of changes that occurred from the new Roman state-run establishment under the principality of Augustus. The classical tradition will oppose a new order marked by the Roman elites demand for expensive products, creating fashions and customs unexplored to date, trying to slow it down with the
enactment of laws against excess and access.
These changes will be accompanied by other observable also in this work, highlighting, the emergence of new commercial characters and their existential increase in Rome: margaritarii, coronarii, vascularii, vestiarii, etc. In this process, indirectly new terms will be minted for defining new jobs and others will vary depending on use. Also, there
is a growing desire to show the life and personal work on the tombstones, making clear a new cultural fashion. Finally, this cultural transformation will extend to an urban modification of the Urbs, lifting exclusive spaces for the purchase and sale of these products

Pearl-forming molluscs, both freshwater and marine, have been identified from the South African archaeological
record.However, no pearls have been recorded.The lack of pearls in the archaeological record and the fact that many
Bantu-languages use derivatives of the Afrikaansword ‘pêrel’or have no termfor pearls at all, suggests that these had
no (or very little at best) role in South African societies in prehistoric times. Pearls are generally scarce under natural
conditions, and this might have been a reason why no pearls have been found in the South African archaeological
record.The state of preservation of pearls over long periods of time, particularly in the acidic soils of the subcontinent,
is unknown.

This paper uses archaeological and historical data to explore the formative impact of pearl fishing in the Persian Gulf, focusing on migration and population growth, and changes in material culture. The observable role of Gulf communities as active consumers and participants in global trade networks in the late 19th and early 20th centuries AD is highlighted.

In this paper, the market situation of the pearl industry is examined and changes in its structure are related to new technologies. Differences in the industry’s socio-economic impacts are explored, sources of market supply are specified and factors involved in the marketing of pearls are given particular attention. Most, but not exclusive attention, is given to the experiences of the Australian pearl industry and that of French Polynesia. Australia is the major global producer of South Sea pearls and French Polynesia is the main supplier of black pearls.

Compte-rendu de la deuxieme journee d'etudes consacree aux objets de luxe importes de l'ocean Indien dans le monde mediterraneen. Cette etude aborde le cas de deux produits fournis par la mer : les perles naturelles et l'ecaille de tortue.

For this radiocarbon study, 7 saltwater pearls and 3 shells from pearl oysters have been analyzed. The declared ages of the samples range from the mid-19th century to very recent formations. The analyzed data show the potential of the bomb peak time marker to provide additional information when testing pearls. The analyzed pearls could be distinctly sepa- rated in pearls of pre- and post-bomb peak ages, in agreement with the distinction based on the declared ages. The analyzed data further reveals the potential of this method to provide supporting evidence for the historic provenience of a pearl or as an indication of a natural or cultured formation of a pearl.

The Preslav gold treasure (adornments from gold decorated with enamel, beads of gem minerals and pearls: diadem, bilateral necklace, medallions, several earrings and earcaps, rings, buttons, appliqués and other small finds) was found in 1978 near the town of Veliki Preslav – the second Bulgarian capital during the еnd of the First Bulgarian Kingdom. The treasure (X century) belonged to a female member of the royal family and is suggested to be of a Byzantine origin. A morphometric study and gem testing was made on all the gemmological materials – minerals and numerous pearls. Among the gem minerals are identified 40 emeralds, 12 violet sapphires, 10 reddish violet garnets, 5 rock crystals, 3 amethysts and 1 carnelian. Their inclusions and type of cut are listed. The average dimensions for the emerald polished and rounded on the edges prisms from two medallions are: length 0.48 cm and width 0.59 cm. The average dimensions for the mainly barrel shaped sea pearls from a gold medallion ...

Las conquistas de Macedonia y Siria por parte de Roma, posibilitó la expansión de la misma hacia el Mediterráneo oriental y acumular una serie de riquezas derivadas de los botines de guerra nunca antes vista en la ciudad.
El enriquecimiento de parte de la élite senatorial originó una disputa por adquirir cualquier tipo de producto suntuario. Entre los artículos más cotizados se encontraban las perlas, bien de prestigio social cuya posesión otorgaba a su dueño un elemento diferenciador respecto al resto de clases. Los comerciantes encargados de vender perlas en la antigua Roma fueron los conocidos como margaritarii. Entre ellos se encontraba Manius Publicius Hilarus, rico mercader, quien, enriquecido, procuro el gasto de la obra de la Basilica Hilariana, lugar de culto de Cibeles y de Atis, a la vez que sede del colegio de los dendrophori.

Abstract: After the conquests of Macedonia and Syria and the consequent expansion of Roman territory, Rome accumulated an unprecedented capital. Enrichment
of potential consumers next to the historic senatorial elite caused a dispute acquire any kind of luxury product. Among the most prized items pearls, social
prestige product whose possession gave its owner a differentiator compared to other classes were. Traders responsible for selling pearls in ancient Rome were
known as margaritarii. Among them was Manius Publicius Hilarus, rich merchant, who, enriched, I try spending the construction of the Basilica Hilariana, place of worship of Cybele and Attis, while seat of the college of dendrophori.

Rezumat: După cucerirea Macedoniei și a Syriei și extinderea teritoriului în Mediterana orientală, Roma a acumulat o serie de bogăţii provenite din prada de război nemaiîntâlnite până atunci. Îmbogăţirea unei părţi a elitei senatoriale a generat o aprigă dispută pentru achiziţionarea de articole de lux. Printre cele mai căutate erau perlele, a căror posesie constituia un semn a prestigiului și diferenţierii sociale. Comercianţii responsabili pentru vânzarea de perle în antica
Roma erau cunoscuţi ca margaritarii. Printre aceștia a fost Manius Publicius Hilarus, bogat negustor, care a construit Basilica Hilariana, loc al cultului Cybelei și al
lui Attis și sediu al colegiului dendrophori-lor.

The pearl world radically changed when a Japanese entrepreneur decides to dedicate all his life to fulfil a dream: to adorn the necks of all the women in the world with pearls. He succeeded in generating the first whole cultured pearl in 1905 and his name became forever associated with the history of pearls, jewellery and, interestingly, of gemmology.

Compte-rendu de la deuxieme journee d'etudes consacree aux objets de luxe importes de l'ocean Indien dans le monde mediterraneen. Cette etude aborde le cas de deux produits fournis par la mer : les perles naturelles et l'ecaille de tortue.

Born in the wombs of shells and polished by mother nature herself, pearls were regarded as gifts from the gods. For millennia, the creation of pearls was credited to the tears of heavenly creatures or the formation of sun-touched dewdrops. Countless civilizations, both Western and Non-Western, have their own myths and legends surrounding the pearl, a mark of their mysterious allure. The artform of jewelry, favored by the Roman aristocracy, took advantage of naturally perfected pearls to create stunning pieces with staggering prices. The pearl’s meaning evolved throughout the Roman Empire and into Early Christian Rome, setting up a contradictory legacy of earthly decadence and divine modesty. Deciphering the language of the pearl through perhaps the most recognizable period of Western history allows for a closer examination of the social customs of a world superpower. During the Roman Era, pearls went through a dramatic period of metamorphosis which mirrored the state of empire. The ancient Romans transformed pearls from a symbol of the gods to a memento of mortal decadence, finally ending their evolution as gems of the heavens.

Most materials of practical interest are neither completely wetting nor completely non-wetting. Through careful design, it is possible to alter the natural wettability of a surface to be more omniphilic or omniphobic. This is principally realized by modifying the physics and/or the chemistry of the surface. In this work, the effects of external uniform magnetic fields on the behavior of the static contact angle of different oil-based ferrofluid droplets were examined for a handful of horizontal surfaces of varying wettability. Experimental results show that the static contact angle of ferrofluid droplets in a magnetic field is not constant around the periphery of the droplet on a horizontal surface, rather it varies in a rich, yet predictable way with the azimuthal angle and magnetic field strength. In addition, the spontaneous motion of two oil-based ferrofluid droplets on a wedge-shaped surface tension gradient was studied for two distinct surface tension gradient orientations in the presence of different external uniform magnetic fields (0-250G). Various wedge angles from 10° to 17° were studied. It was observed that for a given ferrofluid droplet size, larger wedge angles generally produced larger overall surface tension driving forces. As a result, higher droplet velocities were generally achieved in this case, but also shorter overall travel distances. Eventually, for each ferrofluid that was studied, a magnetic field was found above which the droplet was "pinned" on the surface, and droplet movement was stopped despite the underlying presence of the surface tension gradient force.

Summarised proceedings of the 1st Pearl Symposium hosted by DANAT, the Bahrain Institute for Pearls & Gemstones, on 14–15 November 2019 in Bahrain, a few days before the CIBJO Congress in Manama. This scientific event was promoted under the Pearl Revival Initiative, a programme that artic- ulates historical, cultural, economic, biological and environmental knowledge to bring back the allure of the historically relevant natural pearl industry in Bahrain. The event was attended by more than 130 delegates from at least 28 countries.

The United States may not be the first country that comes to mind when it comes to pearl production but it has notable historic importance as a producer of natural freshwater pearls and contemporary significance as a supplier of shell bead nuclei for the cultured pearl industry.

This paper uses archaeological and historical data to examine the formative impact of pearl fishing on the Persian Gulf region, including migration and population expansion, urban growth, and changes in material culture and consumption patterns. The role of the local communities as consumers and active participants in global trade networks is highlighted, and is quantified in archaeological assemblages relating to the pearling boom of the late 19th-early 20th centuries AD.

This is the second in a series of somewhat whimsical, but serious articles and comments by Danna G. Hallmark on the subject of Pearls. Elaborating on the subject of the inefficiencies and inequalities of the modern classification and evaluating system of pearls, this chapter is a hard-hitting editorial on the new grading system for Akoya and freshwater pearls.