[Satine De La Courcel]

It may have been her favorite, in Lizzy's day alchemists were still reigning supreme and they did make arsenic or antimon and gold amalgamates that could slowly but surely kill you. Mother of pearl was safe. As a result, you find quite a few royal rings with inner shanks made of mother of pearl in royal collections although most of the old pieces had solid gold shanks put in their place later.

Zeide[/quote]

Hi Zeide,

Wonderful theories weren't they and pearls could cure stomach ailments as well! Sometimes blindness too!!