Origin of name
The Southern Cross Pearl also known as the Great Southern
Cross Pearl, is a natural cluster of nine pearls discovered in the pearl
oyster species of the South Sea, Pinctada maxima, in Western Australia in
1874 or 1883. The unique feature of this cluster of natural pearls, was the
remarkable arrangement of the pearls to form a Latin Cross of unbelievable
and perfect proportions, which for the faithful was undoubtedly a divine
miracle, but for the skeptic just another freak of nature. The cruciform
cluster of pearls acquired the name Southern Cross or the Great Southern
Cross, perhaps because it was discovered in Australia, in the Southern
Hemisphere or because of its resemblance to another natural cross-like
formation in the star-studded skies of the Southern Hemisphere, the
constellation popularly known as the "Southern Cross," which is clearly
visible in the skies of Australia.
Characteristics of the
cluster of pearls
The Southern Cross pearl cluster, consists of a group of
nine pearls, believed to have grown together naturally inside the pearl
oyster species Pinctada maxima, in a strikingly regular manner to form a
Latin Cross of perfect geometric proportions, whose appearance is too good
to be considered natural. The shaft of the cross which measures 1.5 inches
(3.81 cm) in length is made up of 7 pearls, whose diameter decreases
gradually from top to bottom, from the second pearl downwards. The topmost
pearl has a diameter almost equal to the bottom most pearl. The two arms of
the cross are formed by a single pearl on either side and almost opposite to
the second pearl on the shaft from the top, which incidentally is the
largest pearl on the cross. The boundaries of the pearls in the cluster are
clearly demarcated by depressions on the sides of the shaft. The luster and
iridescence of the pearls are quite good, but the individual pearls are not
spherical, because of the mutual compression the pearls were subjected to
during their growth, causing them to be
flattened on opposite sides, at the points where they met one another. The
pearls have thus become barrel shaped, except at the extremities of the
cross, where they are almost drop-shaped, as compression was felt only on
one side. The pearls are slightly flattened at the back, perhaps due to the
cluster forming close to the shell, within the fleshy mantle of the host
oyster. Under the present-day classification of the shapes of pearls, the
individual pearls in the cluster clearly fall under the category of baroque
pearls.
The Southern Cross Pearls,
Courtsey -Freshwater and Marine
Image Bank
Taken individually the pearls may not have much value,
but the unique composite structure in the form of a Roman Cross of perfect
proportions, has an inestimable value, being the first of its kind ever
discovered in the world, believed to have been formed without any form of
human intervention. This is in contrast to the famous Buddha pearls, that
were cultivated by the ancient Chinese, by implanting tiny figurines
of the Buddha inside the pearl oyster, which acted as the nucleus. The
cluster of pearls was later set in a simple gold mount, leaving the back and
front face of the cross perfectly free, and was exhibited at several
international exhibitions around the world.
History of the Southern
Cross Pearls
Sources of information on
the history of Southern Cross Pearls
1) Edwin William
Streeter
Our main sources of information on the history of the
Southern Cross Pearls, comes from two world renowned authorities, both of
whom were involved during their life time with minerals and gemstones, and
were specialists and recognized authorities in their own fields, having many
authoritative publications to their credit. One was Edwin W. Streeter, the
renowned diamond and gem dealer with business interests in London and Ceylon
(Sri Lanka), who towards end of his life also engaged in pearling activities
in Western Australia. Streeter did lot of research on diamonds, precious
stones and on the history of famous diamond and gemstones, and published
several books related to these fields. One of the books written by Streeter
was "Pearls and Pearling Life" which was published by George Bell &
Sons in 1886. and in which he had dedicated a chapter (chapter XVII) to the
Southern Cross Pearl.
2) George Frederick
Kunz
The other international authority on gemstones and
minerals was George Frederick Kunz (1856-1932), a self-educated geologist,
mineralogist and gemologist, whose interest in minerals from a very young
age, led to a life time dedication to the study of minerals, and made him a
world authority on the subject, and whose expertise was much sought after by
institutions like the U.S. Geological Survey and the renowned jewelers
Tiffany & Co., who engaged his services. During his life time Kunz published
several books and wrote over 300 articles for prestigious journals of
science, such as the American Journal of Science and the American
Mineralogist. In 1908, Kunz together with Charles Hugh Stevenson, published
the book, "The Book of the Pearl : its history, art, science and industry,"
in which he discusses the history of the discovery of the Southern Cross
Pearl and its characteristics on page 466.
1) History of the
discovery of the Southern Cross Pearls according to Edwin W. Streeter
The discovery of the
pearl by Clark and Kelly in 1874 at Roeburn in Western Australia
According to the version of events leading to the
discovery of the Southern Cross Pearls given in Edwin Streeter's book, the
cluster pearl was discovered in 1874 by a man named Clark, while
pearl-fishing in a schooner at Roeburn, in Western Australia. When the shell
was opened by Clark in the presence of Shiner Kelly, the owner of the
schooner, what turned out inside caused shock and amazement and a sense of
awe, among the pair, both of whom were devout Roman Catholics. The pair were
convinced that this was indeed a heaven-sent miracle, and out of fear
buried the cross of pearls, for an unspecified period of time. It was later
taken out and sold, and after that the pearl changed hands many times, the
price increasing each time by a hundred percent, until it became the
property of a syndicate of gentleman in Western Australia. Apparently one of
the members of this syndicate was Mr. F. H. Cheesewright, at whose instance
Mr. Edwin Streeter was persuaded to take the pearl cross to England, in
order to give it the publicity it deserved.
The miraculous
Southern Cross Pearl exhibited at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in 1886
In the year 1886, the miraculous pearl formation was
exhibited in the Western Australian Court of the Colonial and Indian
Exhibition, set in a simple gold mount, that left the front and back of the
cross perfectly free. The syndicate valued the pearl at
£10,000, given the unique character of the pearl formation, the only one of
its kind in the world. Streeter then goes on to say that many visitors who
had seen the Southern Cross Pearls at the exhibition, and did not have the
opportunity of closely inspecting the cross, might have been disposed to
entertain the opinion, that the cluster was artificially grouped together,
given the geometric regularity in the grouping of the pearls. He says that
the examination of the cross under high magnifying power was sufficient to
prove that the skeptics notion of its artificial character was unfounded.
The
cross is subjected to scrutiny by the scientific community
Streeter then gives an interesting
narration of how he and Mr. A. F. Thompson of the West Australian Court,
organized an exhibition of the cross on July 29, 1886, at No. 18 New Bond
Street, London, with a view of subjecting the cross to severe scrutiny,
particularly by members of the scientific community. A large number of
scientific and literary men, colonists and Indians, attended this special
occasion by invitation, to inspect this strange curiosity. Streeter had
made arrangements for a powerful lime-light to be projected on an area where
the cross was to be examined, and had provided powerful magnifying glasses
to assist in the examination. The cluster pearl was allowed to be handled
freely by anyone who wished to examine it very closely, and express an
opinion. The close scrutiny to which the cross was subjected, with powerful
magnifying glasses, under strong artificial illumination, by several
independent observers might have easily detected any artificial junction
between the pearls, or any trace of an artificial cementing medium. Streeter
goes on to say that the cross came out of the ordeal without a shadow of
suspicion, and was pronounced to be a 100% natural creation of unique
character.
A
rational explanation of how the extraordinary pearl cross would have formed
No satisfactory explanation of how the pearls came to be
arranged regularly during its formation inside the Pinctada maxima pearl
oyster had been forthcoming, but a plausible explanation had been put
forward by one Dr. MacLarty. According to him a serrated sea-weed might have
gained access into the oyster, and served as a nucleus around which nacre
was deposited. The occurrence of teeth at regular intervals along the margin
of the frond, caused the deposition of nacre at regular intervals, forming a
string of pearls running in a straight line. Pinctada maxima, the South Sea
pearl oyster, being the largest pearl oyster species in the world, that
could reach a maximum length of one foot (12 ins or 30 cm), might have
easily accommodated such a nucleus which was only 1.5 ins (30 cm) in length.
Streeter further goes on to assert, that whatever may have been the
determining cause, it seems clear that the cross was a perfectly natural
one, without being subjected to any human manipulation.
History of the discovery
of the Southern Cross Pearls according to George Frederick Kunz
Discovery of the pearl
by Clark in 1883.
The information given by George Frederick Kunz in his
book, "The Book of the Pearl" relevant to the discovery of the pearl, was
derived from Henry Taunton's account of his wanderings in Australia,
published in "Australind" in 1900. According to this version the pearl cross
was discovered actually on March 26, 1883, off Baldwin Creek, in Latitude 17°S
and Longitude 122°E, by a boy named Clark, who was in the employment of
James W. S. Kelly, a master pearler. At the time the pearl was delivered to
Mr. Kelly, it was in three distinct pieces. The boy however reported that it
was in one piece when he found it a few hours earlier. Kelly sold the pearl
in the form he received it, in three pieces, to another pearler named Roy
for 10 pounds. Roy in turn sold it to a man named Craig for 40 pounds, who
eventually sold it to the Australian Syndicate.
The
cluster had only eight pearls when sold in 1883, and the ninth pearl was
added subsequently to complete the cross
Taunton further goes on to reveal
that originally when the pearl was delivered to Kelly by Clark, and later
when Kelly sold it in 1883 the cluster had only 8 pearls, as the right arm
of the cross was missing. One of the subsequent owners of the cluster pearl,
who is not identified in Taunton's account, decided to look for a pearl of
suitable size and shape, to take the place of the right arm, in order to
make the cluster resemble a well-proportioned cross. They searched the pearl
markets of Cossack, the hub of the pearling industry in Western Australia at
that time, from where the pearling fleets operated, and without much
difficulty secured a pearl of the right size and the required convexity, for
about 10 or 12 pounds. What remained now was putting the pieces together
skillfully, with the help of diamond cement. At first the three original
pieces were joined together with diamond cement, making two artificial
joints. Then the selected pearl for the right arm of the cross was attached
to a natural hollow on the central pearl, and the cluster was transformed
into a perfect cross, with three artificial joints.
Attempts
made to give the Southern Cross Pearls as a gift to Pope Leo XIII
Kunz also states that the Southern
Cross Pearls was first exhibited at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition at
London in 1886, and later at the Paris Exhibition in 1889, where it
attracted much attention, and obtained a gold medal for exhibitors. He also
mentions of a move to purchase the pearls for £10,000, to be given as a gift
to Pope Leo XIII in 1896, during the 18th year of his papacy, but does
not say whether it actually materialized. He further states that he has no
information on the present (1908) location of the cross.
Apparent
contradictions in the two versions of the history of the Southern Cross
Pearls
There are many contradictions in the two versions of the
history of the Southern Cross Pearls, as given by Streeter and Kunz. While
in Streeter's version the cluster pearls were discovered in 1874, in Kunz's
version the exact date of discovery is given as March 26, 1883, which was
nine years later than in the first version. Again Streeter's version says
that Clark discovered the shell, but it was opened in the presence of Kelly,
and they later buried the cluster for an unspecified period of time. In
Kunz's version the cluster was discovered by Clark alone, who later
delivered the cluster in three pieces to Kelly. According to Streeter's
version the cluster was discovered in the form of a perfect cross without
any human manipulation. But, in Kunz's version the cluster was discovered in
one piece by Clark, but later in trying to retrieve it broke into three
pieces, in which form it was later sold by Kelly. Kunz's version further
says that the cluster had only 8 pearls at the time of its discovery, and
the ninth pearl in the form of the missing right arm of the cross was added
later. Thus according to Kunz's version, there are three artificial joints
in the cross created by diamond cement.
The essential difference
between the two versions
Thus the essential difference between the two versions is
that, Streeter's version depicts the Southern Cross pearl cluster as a 100%
natural creation without any human manipulation, whereas Kunz's
version tries to show that there was indeed human intervention in the
creation of the Southern Cross Pearls, by creating two artificial joints to
assemble the three pieces together, and a third artificial joint to create
the right arm of the cross.
The shape of the
individual pearls in the cross lends strong evidence to the natural
provenance of a major part of the cross
However, whether there had been human intervention or not
in the Southern Cross Pearl Cluster, a study of the shapes of the individual
pearls both at the extremities of the cross and other places, lends strong
evidence to their natural provenance. The flattening of the pearls on
opposite sides due to mutual compression caused during the growth of the
pearls, resulting in barrel-shaped pearls in the middle and drop-shaped
pearls at the extremities, where compression was present only on one side,
is a strong line of evidence for the natural provenance of a major part of
the cross.
The present whereabouts
of the Southern Cross Pearls ?
After the display of the Southern Cross Pearls at the
Colonial and Indian Exhibition of 1886 and later at the Paris Exhibition in
1889, where it won a gold medal, the next time the renowned pearl formation
made its appearance was in 1924, when it was the star exhibit at the Great
Wembley Exhibition held in London. In 1933, the Southern Cross Pearls was
reported to be in the possession of C. P. Bennett, a London merchant. Since
then the whereabouts of the pearls are not known, and in the year 1994,
Philip Pendal, a West Australian Member of Parliament, was reported to have
searched for it in England, probably with the intention of acquiring the
renowned cross and taking it back home. A web article titled "Pearl : Queen
of Gems" written by Vimukthi Fernando, and appearing on the website
www.lankalibrary.com claims
that the Southern Cross is now in the treasuries of the Vatican, but the
source of this information is not given.
The Southern Cross
Constellation after which the Southern Cross Pearls were named
Recognition of "Crux
Australis" as a separate constellation from Centaurus
The "Southern Cross" constellation known as "Crux
Australis" was not considered as a separate constellation by ancient Greek
and Arab astronomers, but as part of the Constellation Centaurus, forming a foot
of the Centaur. The four bright stars in the constellation that formed the
extremities of the cross, was so brilliant in the southern hemisphere, that
eventually in the early 17th century, "Crux Australis" was recognized
as a separate constellation, perhaps the smallest in the entire sky. The
constellation also has a fifth bright but smaller star. The five stars are
labeled using the Greek Alphabet, as Alpha Cruxis (Acrux), Beta Cruxis (Becrux
or Mimosa), Gamma Cruxis (Gacrux), Delta Cruxis and Epsilon Cruxis (ε-Cruxis).
The
properties of the five brightest stars in the constellation
The Alpha Cruxis is a binary star
with a combined visual magnitude of 0.72, and occupies the lowest end of the
cross. Beta Cruxis is the brightest star of the group, a blue-white star
with a visual magnitude of 1.25, and occupies the left extremity of the
cross. Gamma Cruxis forms the head of the cross and is an orange looking
star. Delta Cruxis is the faintest of the four stars and occupies the right
extremity of the cross. The fifth star situated between Alpha Cruxis and
Delta Cruxis, is known as Epsilon Cruxis. The first three stars, Alpha, Beta
and Gamma Cruxis are the brightest of all the five stars, and Beta Cruxis is
the brightest of the entire group.
The
visibility range of the "Crux Australis"
The "Crux Australis" is mainly
visible in the Southern Hemisphere and in the tropical latitudes of the
Northern Hemisphere near the horizon during the winter months. The
visibility range is between latitudes 20°N and 90°S (between +20° and -90°).
There are no Greek myths or legends associated with this constellation,
probably because the group was not identified as a separate constellation or
because of its non-visibility or insignificance in the skies of the Northern
Hemisphere. However, there are many legends associated with the
constellation in ancient cultures of the Southern Hemisphere such as the
Australian Aborigines, the Patagonian Mapuches, the Incas of Mesoamerica,
the Maoris of New Zealand, the Tuaregs of the Sahara, the ancient Hindus of
India and cultures of Indonesia and Malaysia.
The
astronomical significance of the "Crux Australis"
The astronomical significance of the
"Southern Cross" is that in the absence of a Southern Polar Star to
indicate the Southern Celestial Pole, two stars of the constellation,
Alpha Cruxis, and Gamma Cruxis are used to find the position of the Southern
Celestial Pole. A line constructed perpendicularly between Alpha Centauri
and Beta Centauri that intersects the extended line joining Alpha and Gamma
Cruxis marks the Southern Celestial Pole.
The Southern Cross Constellation in various flags and
badges
The "Southern Cross" a
national symbol of several nations of the Southern Hemisphere
The "Southern Cross Constellation" is the most popular
constellation in Australia, and is a symbol in the Australian flag, the four
most prominent stars in the group representing the four moral virtues of
Justice, Prudence, Temperance and Fortitude.
The Australian National Flag
The symbol is also used in the flags of the Australian
States. It is also used as a national symbol by several other nations of the
Southern Hemisphere who have incorporated it in their national flags, such
as New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Brazil. It is also used in the
flags of the Magallanes Region of Chile, several Argentinean provincial
flags, and the flag of Mercosur Trading Zone. In Brazil the Southern Cross
also appears on their coat-of-arms.
You are welcome to discuss this post/related topics with Dr Shihaan and other experts from around the world in our FORUMS (forums.internetstones.com)
Related :-
1)
Paspaley Pearl
2)
Paspaley Drop-Shaped Pearls
References :-
1) The Southern Cross Pearl - Chapter XVII, Pearls and
Pearling Life, by Streeter E.W.
2) The Southern Cross Pearl - Page 466, The Book of the
Pearl : Its history, art, science and industry - Kunz and Stevenson
3) Famous Pearls - website of the American Museum of
Natural History, New York
4) George Frederick Kunz - From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
5) Pearl : Queen of Gems - Vimukthi Fernando,
www.lankalibrary.com
