Giving the pearl values in 1867, Emanuel[[396]] says: “It would be almost useless to give any value for drop pearls, as when of large size and fine quality they are of so rare occurrence as to command fancy prices; still, as a slight guide, it may be mentioned that perfect white drop pearls, of 80 to 100 grains, may be estimated at from £7 to £11 [$35–$55] per grain; those of 50 to 80 grains at from £4 to £7 [$20–$35] per grain, and those of 30 to 50 grains at from £3–£5 [$15–$25] per grain; smaller sizes bring from 20s. to 60s. [$5–$15] per grain.”
Emanuel also states that misshapen pieces called “baroque pearls” (perles baroques), are sold by the ounce, the price varying from £10 to £200 ($50–$1000) per ounce, depending on quality, color, and size.
| PRICES IN NEW YORK CITY IN 1878 |
|---|
| |
| Grains | Value per grain | Total value |
|---|
| |
| 1 | $1.00 | $1.00 |
| 2 | 1.83 | 3.66 |
| 3 | 2.75 | 8.25 |
| 4 | 3.60 | 14.40 |
| 5 | 4.03 | 20.15 |
| 6 | 4.69 | 28.14 |
| 7 | 6.32 | 44.24 |
| 8 | 6.87 | 54.96 |
| 9 | 7.42 | 66.78 |
| 10 | 8.25 | 82.50 |
| 11 | 9.62 | 105.82 |
| 12 | 10.45 | 125.40 |
| 13 | 11.68 | 151.84 |
| 14 | 12.55 | 175.70 |
| 15 | 14.20 | 213.00 |
| 20 | 19.70 | 394.00 |
| 24 | 24.75 | 594.00 |
| HALF-PEARLS |
|---|
| I QUALITY. PER HUNDRED |
|---|
| |
| Diameter | | | | | |
|---|
| Size No. | Millimeters | Inches | 1873 | 1876 | 1878 | 1885 | 1908 |
|---|
| 4 | | | $1.10 | | $0.85 | $0.50 | $1.55 |
| 5 | 1.20 | .047 | 1.35 | $0.70 | 1.00 | .60 | 1.95 |
| 6 | 1.22 | .048 | 1.80 | .90 | 1.35 | .70 | 2.90 |
| 7 | 1.24 | .049 | 2.25 | 1.10 | 1.70 | 1.12 | 3.88 |
| 8 | 1.26 | .049 | 2.70 | 1.35 | 2.00 | 1.80 | 5.27 |
| 9 | 1.28 | .050 | 3.35 | 1.80 | 2.50 | 2.00 | 6.65 |
| 10 | 1.80 | .071 | 4.50 | 2.25 | 3.40 | 3.00 | 9.15 |
| 11 | 1.83 | .072 | 5.60 | 2.70 | 4.20 | 4.00 | 11.36 |
| 12 | 1.86 | .073 | 8.00 | 3.35 | 5.90 | 5.00 | 13.86 |
| 13 | 1.90 | .075 | 9.00 | 4.50 | 6.75 | 5.75 | 15.51 |
| 14 | 2.00 | .078 | 11.00 | 5.60 | 8.40 | 6.75 | 17.50 |
| 15 | 2.10 | .082 | 14.00 | 8.00 | 10.00 | 8.25 | 20.80 |
| 16 | 2.25 | .088 | 17.00 | 9.00 | 12.50 | 10.50 | 25.00 |
| 17 | 2.40 | .094 | 19.00 | 11.00 | 14.00 | 12.00 | 30.50 |
| 18 | 2.60 | .102 | 23.00 | 14.00 | 17.00 | 14.50 | 37.40 |
| 19 | 2.75 | .108 | 28.00 | 17.00 | 21.00 | 16.25 | 48.50 |
| 20 | 2.90 | .114 | 33.00 | 19.00 | 24.00 | 18.25 | 61.00 |
| 22 | 3.05 | .120 | 42.00 | 28.00 | 31.00 | 33.00 | |
| 24 | 3.15 | .124 | 53.00 | 38.00 | 39.00 | 48.00 | |
| 26 | 3.30 | .130 | 67.00 | 45.00 | 50.00 | 69.00 | |
| 28 | 3.55 | .140 | 101.00 | 56.00 | 75.00 | 98.00 | |
| 30 | 3.90 | .153 | 124.00 | 79.00 | 92.00 | 150.00 | |
| HALF PEARLS |
|---|
| II QUALITY. PER HUNDRED |
|---|
| |
| Size No. | 1873 | 1876 | 1878 | 1885 | 1908 |
|---|
| 4 | $0.55 | | $0.45 | $0.30 | $0.84 |
| 5 | .70 | $0.35 | .50 | .35 | 1.22 |
| 6 | .90 | .45 | .70 | .50 | 1.87 |
| 7 | 1.10 | .55 | .85 | .80 | 3.05 |
| 8 | 1.35 | .70 | 1.00 | 1.05 | 4.43 |
| 9 | 1.80 | .90 | 1.35 | 1.45 | 5.82 |
| 10 | 2.25 | 1.10 | 1.70 | 1.80 | 8.32 |
| 11 | 3.35 | 1.35 | 2.50 | 2.60 | 10.53 |
| 12 | 4.00 | 1.80 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 12.75 |
| 13 | 4.50 | 2.25 | 3.40 | 3.75 | 14.41 |
| 14 | 5.60 | 3.35 | 4.20 | 4.25 | 15.51 |
| 15 | 6.75 | 4.00 | 5.00 | 4.75 | 18.00 |
| 16 | 9.00 | 4.50 | 6.75 | 5.25 | 20.80 |
| 17 | 10.00 | 5.60 | 7.50 | 6.00 | 26.35 |
| 18 | 11.00 | 6.75 | 8.40 | 7.00 | 31.90 |
| 19 | 14.00 | 9.00 | 10.00 | 7.75 | 41.60 |
| 20 | 17.00 | 10.00 | 12.50 | 8.75 | 52.70 |
| 22 | 20.00 | 14.00 | 15.00 | | |
| 24 | 27.00 | 19.00 | 20.00 | | |
| 26 | 34.00 | 23.00 | 25.00 | | |
| 28 | 51.00 | 28.00 | 38.00 | | |
| 30 | 62.00 | 40.00 | 46.00 | | |
| HALF PEARLS |
|---|
| III QUALITY. PER HUNDRED |
|---|
| |
| Size No. | 1876 | 1907 | Size No. | 1876 | 1908 |
|---|
| 4 | | $0.47 | 15 | 2.70 | 8.93 |
| 5 | $0.25 | .70 | 16 | 3.35 | 11.20 |
| 6 | .35 | 1.11 | 17 | 4.00 | 13.90 |
| 7 | .40 | 1.94 | 18 | 4.50 | 18.00 |
| 8 | .45 | 2.77 | 19 | 5.60 | 22.20 |
| 9 | .70 | 3.86 | 20 | 6.75 | 27.75 |
| 10 | .80 | 4.99 | 22 | 9.00 | 40.00 |
| 11 | .90 | 5.82 | 24 | 14.00 | 75.00 |
| 12 | 1.10 | 6.65 | 26 | 17.00 | 85.00 |
| 13 | 1.60 | 7.48 | 28 | 19.00 | 100.00 |
| 14 | 2.25 | 8.32 | 30 | 28.00 | 200.00 |
|
| VALUE OF IRREGULAR PEARLS IN 1774[[397]] |
|---|
| |
| Pearls to the ounce | Value in English money | Equivalent in U. S. currency | Average for each pearl |
|---|
| £ | s. | | |
|---|
| 500 | 3 | 0 | $15.00 | $0.03 |
| 300 | 6 | 0 | 30.00 | .10 |
| 150 | 11 | 2 | 55.50 | .37 |
| 100 | 18 | 0 | 90.00 | .90 |
| 60 | 33 | 15 | 168.75 | 2.81 |
| 30 | 75 | 0 | 375.00 | 12.50 |
The following values for the smaller oriental pearls are given in the “Museum Brittanicum” of John and Andrew van Rymsdyck, 1778, p. 9.
| No. to the ounce | Rix dollars | Equivalent in U. S. currency | Average for each pearl |
|---|
| 200 | | 70 | $75.60 | | $0.378 |
| 300 | | 50 | 54.00 | | .18 |
| 900 | | 10 | 10.80 | | .012 |
| 2000 | | 3 | 4.24 | | .00212 |
| 4000 | | 2½ | 2.70 | | .006755 |
| 8000 | } | 2 | 2.16 | { | .00027 |
| 10,000 | 2 | 2.16 | .000216 |
Pio Naldi’s treatise of 1791 gives the following rule for estimating the value of small, round pearls, weighing less than one carat or four grains. As the carat value of four such pearls is given as five lire and 576 one-grain pearls were counted as one ounce, these two numbers were used to determine the value of an ounce of small pearls. The product of 576 multiplied by 5 is 2880, and this number was then divided by 2000, 1000, 500, or whatever might be the number of pearls in a given ounce. If there were 2000 pearls, the carat value would be 1.44 lire or $.29; if there were 1000, the carat would be worth 2.88 lire or $.57; if 500, 5.76 lire or $1.15, etc.