| "I cant begin to guess how many times I'd be at a pearl convention show or an auction when a drop dead gorgous woman
would stun everyone by strutting in, wearing a spectacular strand of pearls. Given the audience at these events every head
would swivel toward the necklace (not the woman).
Within a nanosecond the dealers would have assessed the pearls , orient, lustre, surface quality, size, shape and match - and
if they are as grand as they looked at first blush, the dealers eyes would dilate. Without a moments hesitation the first thing they
would sputter to the woman would be "May I ask the provenance of your pearls" . It was all a game, of course since the dealers
already knew, but a popular diversion nonetheless, since the wearer almost never had a clue"
From Tears of Mermaids - Stephen G Bloom |