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Pearl Jewelry - The Story of Pearl Hunters

As long as pearl jewelry have been known to people, they have been a highly sought commodity for their beauty. It's only in recent times however that the industry has taken the hunt for the perfect pearl to a whole different level. Today, the shiny orbs that we see on in display in jewelry stores have actually almost always been grown in farms.

That's a far cry from the dangerous extraction and collection methods used before the invention of modern technology. In the past, not more than 100 years ago, the only way to retrieve pearls was by diving in lakes, floods and the ocean to pick them up, one at the time. The unfortunate divers who'se job it was to do this, were often poor and lured by the relative large sums they could get. The diver would sometimes have to dive as deep as 100 feet on one single breath of air. In order to preserve air and to stay submerged the longest, the divers would hold on to heavy stones on the way down.

Naturally, this dangerous activity was reserved for the desperate or the powerless - in many cases slaves or extremely poor peasents. Today, this method is all but obsolete in most places of the world. The cheaper cultured pearls have become popular and are many times the only pearls available to the consumer.

There are however still a few isolated areas that practice this old art of pearl diving. Some of the finest natural pearl speciments come from the gulf of Bahrain. Here, divers still risk their health to retrieve what are considered the top of the crop in the world. In fact, Bahrain wants no part of the sale of cultured pearls, banned from trade. Bahrain is one of the few places on earth that does an active job in trying to preserve the natural habitat and waters from pollution.

It's an interesting story and one that continues to fascinate buyers around the world. Somehow, the beauty of the pearl grows when it's been retrieved from the depth of the ocean.

Saturday, 13-Nov-2010 01:43

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Buying Pearl Jewelry Without Being Ripped Off

Buying pearl jewelry can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether you're considering a gift of pearl jewelry for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the terms used in the industry. Here's some information to help you get the best quality pearl jewelry for your money, whether you're shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store or online.

Pearls

Natural or real pearls are made by oysters and other mollusks. Cultured pearls also are grown by mollusks, but with human intervention; that is, an irritant introduced into the shells causes a pearl to grow. Imitation pearls are man-made with glass, plastic, or organic materials.

Because natural pearls are very rare, most pearls used in jewelry are either cultured or imitation pearls. Cultured pearls, because they are made by oysters or mollusks, usually are more expensive than imitation pears. A cultured pearl's value is largely based on its size, usually stated in millimeters, and the quality of its nacre coating, which give it luster. Jewelers should tell your if the pearls are cultured or imitation. Some black, bronze, gold, purple, blue and orange pearls, whether natural or cultured, occur that way in nature; some, however, are dyed through various processes. Jewelers should tell you whether the colored pearls are naturally colored, dyed or irradiated.

Clams, oysters, mussels and many other mollusks with limy shells are known to produce pearls. But very few kinds yield gem pearls of jeweler's quality. The pearl is an abnormal growth of mother-of-pearl, or nacre, imbedded in the soft bodies of these shellfish. It is built up, layer upon layer, in the same way as nacre is added to the lining of the growing shell and always has the same color and luster. For example, over the country, hundreds of good-sized pearls are found each year in the oysters we eat. Unfortunately these have no commercial value regardless of whether they have been cooked or not because they are dull opaque white or purple like the shell of the parent oyster. In recent times almost all pearls of gem quality come from the oriental pearl oyster which has a bright shimmering translucent nacre.

A pearl starts growing when some irritating foreign substance such as a sand grain, bit of mud, parasite or other object becomes lodged in the shell-producing gland called the mantle. Pearls formed in the soft flesh where nacre can be added on all sides are most likely to be spherical and the most highly prized. By far the great majority are flattened or variously distorted and have little value. Size, color, luster and freedom from flaws are other essential qualities. Unlike other gems, such as diamonds, pearls have an average life of only about 50 years. In time the small amount of water in a pearl's make-up is lost and its surface cracks. Because they are mostly lime, necklaces which are worn often are injured by the acid secretions of the human skin.

Monday, 8-Nov-2010 02:17

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Pearl Jewelry - The Story of Pearl Hunters

As long as pearl jewelry have been known to people, they have been a

highly sought commodity for their beauty. It's only in recent times

however that the industry has taken the hunt for the perfect pearl to

a whole different level. Today, the shiny orbs that we see on in

display in jewelry stores have actually almost always been grown in

farms.

That's a far cry from the dangerous extraction and collection methods

used before the invention of modern technology. In the past, not more

than 100 years ago, the only way to retrieve pearls was by diving in

lakes, floods and the ocean to pick them up, one at the time. The

unfortunate divers who'se job it was to do this, were often poor and

lured by the relative large sums they could get. The diver would

sometimes have to dive as deep as 100 feet on one single breath of

air. In order to preserve air and to stay submerged the longest, the

divers would hold on to heavy stones on the way down.

Naturally, this dangerous activity was reserved for the desperate or

the powerless - in many cases slaves or extremely poor peasents.

Today, this method is all but obsolete in most places of the world.

The cheaper cultured pearls have become popular and are many times

the only pearls available to the consumer.

There are however still a few isolated areas that practice this old

art of pearl diving. Some of the finest natural pearl speciments come

from the gulf of Bahrain. Here, divers still risk their health to

retrieve what are considered the top of the crop in the world. In

fact, Bahrain wants no part of the sale of cultured pearls, banned

from trade. Bahrain is one of the few places on earth that does an

active job in trying to preserve the natural habitat and waters from

pollution.

It's an interesting story and one that continues to fascinate buyers

around the world. Somehow, the beauty of the pearl grows when it's

been retrieved from the depth of the ocean.

Monday, 8-Nov-2010 02:11

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Buying Pearl Jewelry Without Being Ripped Off

Monday, 26-Oct-2009 09:56

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The new frontier

Sitting in a cushy blue chair, you see the night sky displayed before you as large as life. The Milky Way cuts across the expanse, and planets zoom in and out to meet your eye. You aren't a space tourist, just on a visit to the Prague Planetarium with its new digital projection system.

The nearly 25 million Kč ($1.4 million) Sky-Skan Definiti system went live in September.

"We needed to be a digital planetarium," says Jan Šifner, the Planetarium's technical director. "It's better to show things in space, like the constellations, and it's great to freshwater pearl earrings show astronomical events, like the Big Bang."
The old system, a projector called "Cosmorama," still lords over the Planetarium's largest viewing hall. The 2.5 ton machine dominates the center of the large dome. Šifner says they currently only have three shows for the new system, so will keep the old projector until everything has been changed over. Then, they'll do some cleaning and repairs to the old girl and put her on display.
"It's wonderful and can't be thrown away," Šifner says. The Cosmorama has been in use since 1990, and the Planetarium's original projector from 1960 is displayed in the building's foyer.

Differences abound between the old and new systems. Šifner says the digital projector has a 3-D model of space and can compute the positions of stars in real time. With the old system, you could only see the night sky from two positions on earth.

The Prague Planetarium has been showing the stars since 1960. It's part of the "Observatory and Planetarium of Prague" group, which includes the Štefánik and Ďáblice observatories. Because of the age of the building, the Sky-Skan Definiti system was one of only
gemstone necklace two systems that could be installed here.

"It was very difficult to install a new system into an old building," Šifner says. "We had to find space for cables and pipes for the water cooling system." They begin the installation process last April, finished in July and made adjustments through September.

Advantages of the new system include the ability to
dancing pearl define constellations so they are easily viewed and to change a star's profile. Stars aren't really white; each one has its own color, and the new system highlights this.

"We don't want to show the sky you'll see when you leave, but astronomical phenomena," Šifner says.

The Planetarium attracts more than 100,000 stargazers every year. For now, English speakers have the opportunity to view two of the Planetarium's shows, "Astrology and Alchemy in the Court of Rudolph II" and "The Night Sky." Headsets with an English translation are available; ask for one when purchasing a ticket. Unfortunately, these shows aren't available yet on the new system. To freshwater pearl necklace see the digital universe in action, check out "Moon Dream," "Bridge Between the Shores of Time" (about the astronomical history of Charles Bridge) and "Prague Crowned with Stars," though they as yet are not offered in English translation. Šifner adds that their shows are different than ones that might be shown in Western planetariums.

"Our shows have an old tradition and are stories trying to explain something to people, like comets," he says wholesale pearl jewelry. "It's different from the West, where it is really a 'show.' "

Like the rotation of the earth, future plans keep the Planetarium constantly in motion. Šifner says they plan to have all shows converted to the new system within five years. Other structural changes are in the works over the next two years, including the addition of a coffee shop.

"The planetarium is a time machine, and the new system is a space gate," Šifner says. "It can move you through space."

Monday, 26-Oct-2009 09:52

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A hug among friends

President Václav Klaus' recent visit to Moscow has renewed discussions about Czech-Russian relations and the president's alleged pro-Russian sympathies. Energy relations between the two states and Russian investments into strategically important Czech companies remain potential flashpoints, which some say could eventually endanger the national security of the Czech Republic.

The style of former-President and current Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin recalls Soviet imperial politics in many respects, though energy resources have been substituted for nuclear warheads as the key means of influencing actions in the near abroad. And, while the comparison does not correlate fully, there is little doubt Russia has the potential to use energy as a political weapon. At the same time, Russia can ill afford to pearl jewelry use energy as a weapon too overtly, because Moscow is also dependent on European energy customers. Most of Russia's energy goes to European Union member states, and they are an essential source of revenue for the state budget and the pockets of leading state officials.
While energy remains a concern, the bigger threat for the Czech Republic remains less direct Russian takeovers of strategic companies. The close and often personal ties between large Russian state companies and intelligence services would lead to a likely increase in influence for Russian intelligence in the Czech Republic.

Natural Gas

In December 2008, the Russian state-owned gas monopoly Gazprom signed a deal with the private Czech gas and oil company Moravské naftové doly (MND) to construct a new underground storage facility in eastern Czech Republic with a storage capacity of 5 million cubic meters. That memorandum follows the signing of another document between MND and Czech-based Gazprom subsidiary Vemex in April 2008, which calls for the Russian company to
pearl jewelry purchase all the gas extracted by MND in its drilling operations in the Czech Republic. Vemex was established in 2001, and, in a relatively short time, the company has captured 12 percent of the Czech retail gas market, supplying the Prague gas utility Pražská plynárenská, as well as the Spolana chemical producer (owned by the Polish petrochemical giant PKN-Orlen) and the steel manufacturer Vítkovice.

Since U.S. President Barack Obama changed course on a proposed radar base in September, the main focus in Czech-Russian relations has shifted toward energy policy and the economy. The Kremlin and Gazprom are concerned about a default on payment for Russian gas imports, based on the "take or pay" principle. Only 2.7 billion cubic meters of gas were imported by the Czech Republic through the beginning of August instead of the 8.5 billion envisaged. This "take or pay" principle means that Czech purchaser RWE Transgas must pay even for gas it hasn't yet withdrawn and has prompted worries on both sides.

One bright spot in this sector is that the Czech Republic, in contrast to
freshwater pearl jewlelry the other post-communist EU countries like Slovakia, is less dependent on Russian gas, with 25 percent of supplies coming from Norway.

Nuclear Energy

Fear of Russian dominance in oil and gas was a major argument for further developing Czech nuclear energy, to create an alternative energy source and further decrease dependence on Russia. However, the Russians are trying to find their way into this strategic sector, as well. Like most things, it mostly comes down to money, which Russian energy companies are not lacking.

In August 2009, the Czech state energy company ČEZ announced a tender for the right to build two reactors in the Czech nuclear plant Temelín and three more reactors in other European countries. Russian state company Rosatom, chaired by former Russian Prime Minister Sergei Kiriyenko, has shown major interest in this proposal. The tender is worth an estimated 500 million Kč ($28.8 million). Many speculate that the main reason for Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Zhukov's visit to Prague in September was to lobby on behalf of Rosatom. These reactors are the largest energy tender in Central Europe and are unlikely to move forward free of political intervention. The result of this tender will seriously influence the position of the Czech Republic and its relative energy dependence on Russia. Another hopeful candidate is U.S. company Westinghouse, but, according to the Czech weekly Respekt, the Russians remain the frontrunner.

The nuclear power plants Temelín and Dukovany also remain attractive to wholesale pearl jewelry suppliers of nuclear fuel. Recently, ČEZ signed a contract with Rosatom subsidiary Tvel for fuel supplies to the Temelín plant, choosing them over Westinghouse. The contract runs through 2010. Tvel is already the exclusive supplier of fuel to the Dukovany plant.

Klaus and Russia

During his Moscow visit, Klaus condemned "the renewed faith in the state," and "in social, paternalistic state power." Ironically, while Klaus is widely seen as a Russian apologist, such statements seem to describe the very nature of the present Russian state. Is the Czech president really as pro-Russian as many suppose?

In Moscow, Klaus sided with Rosatom in its effort to win the tender for building nuclear reactors. In recent months, he was tight-lipped about the possibility for the radar facility in the Czech Republic, and, on this issue, he seemed to side with left-leaning political parties. Pro-Russian policy is a hallmark of the Czech Social Democrats (ČSSD). Its chairman, Jiří Paroubek, even traveled to Russia to meet Vladimir Putin (probably to gemstone necklace assure the Russian prime-minister that he stands firmly against the radar facility in the Czech Republic) without informing the Czech Foreign Ministry.

Klaus was one of a few European politicians who praised Russia in its war campaign against Georgia, though he has since defended himself, saying he was just protesting against blaming Russia alone for the conflict. According to the Czech daily Hospodářské noviny, Klaus is very popular among Russian journalists and very famous and popular in Russia because his statements about "cheap Russophobia" are unique among European political elites. His statements that today represents the "best condition of political freedom and system in Russia in last 2,000 years," and that "a bigger threat to the Czech Republic comes more from Brussels than Moscow," are further evidence of his more pro-Russian course.

Frequent rumors also allege Klaus has close ties to the private Russian company Lukoil. Respekt published an article in March 2009 claiming that Lukoil CEO Vagit Alekperov met secretly with Klaus in late November 2008 to discuss the company's plans for expansion in the Czech Republic. Lukoil is allegedly interested in increasing its influence in Mero, a state company that controls the country's Druzhba and Ingolstadt-Kralupy-Litvínov oil pipelines. Lukoil also funded the Russian translation of Klaus' book The Blue, Not Green Planet, in which he downplayed the effects of industry on global warming. Klaus does not dispute this, and, on his Web site, praises Lukoil for helping publish his book.

According to Respekt, Lukoil is also allegedly interested in acquiring a 16 percent stake in Česká rafinérská (Czech Refinery), currently owned by Shell, Italian energy company ENI and Unipetrol (owned by Polish giant PKN-Orlen). The readiness of PKN-Orlen to sell some subsidiaries, including the refineries, is heavily dependent on the continued fallout from the global economic crisis. Lukoil already has secured a lucrative contract to supply jet fuel to Prague International Airport. The contract according to Respekt was facilitated by former communist party official and lobbyist Miroslav Šlouf through his company Slavia Consulting. Journalist Jiří Komínek says Šlouf was filmed on numerous occasions entering and leaving the Russian Embassy complex in Prague 6 in January 2008, around the time of Klaus's re-election campaign.

While much of the evidence remains circumstantial, there is reason to believe that Russia continues to have an interest in dominating the energy sector in the Czech Republic and that the Kremlin is interested in increasing its influence over other strategic components of the Czech economy. Even Czech intelligence services report Russia has an interest in Prague's Ruzyně airport - which will undergo privatization in the coming years.

For the moment, Klaus is doing little to allay such fears and, on the contrary, is giving all indications of aiding and not ending these designs.

The author is an analyst in the Association of International Affairs (AMO) and a post-graduate student at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Masaryk University in Brno. The AMO co-hosted an international conference Oct. 20 titled Russia's Challenge and

the West's Response.

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Monday, 26-Oct-2009 09:51

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Havel recalls days of revolution

STAFF WRITERS

Václav Havel returned to the stage to give a command performance and deliver a damning line on the Lisbon policy of President Václav Klaus as "dangerous and irresponsible."
Sharing the press conference stage with Havel at Na zábradlí theater Oct. 15 were leading men of the Velvet Revolution: Alexander Vondra (ODS politician), Jiří Křižan (along with Vondra, a co-founder of Civic Forum) and Havel's spokesperson when he was president, Michael Žantovský.

"This meeting is symbolic, in a sense, that it is a return to pearl jewelry where I started my career: to the theater," Havel said, before adding with characteristic humor, "We will speak freely, cheekily and irrespective of the fact that our statements might be mixed up."

The mood was set even before the first question was asked, when Vondra claimed he had asked the former revolutionaries to wear the same trousers they had donned during the tumultuous days of 1989.

Without saying a word, Havel, looking relaxed and robust, pointed to his pants, suggesting they were of revolutionary material. The others admitted the intervening years had seen a retreat in their battle of the bulge; consequently, their former attire no longer fit.

But the humor did not last long, as Havel accused old rival Klaus of being "dangerous and irresponsible" in his Lisbon stance and dismissed fears over the Beneš Decrees, saying Klaus should have been open far earlier about his concerns.

"The threat with the Beneš Decrees - that is not a valid argument, but it can influence the public fed with prejudices of the past," Havel said dancing pearl. "President Klaus should have been clear about his intentions so the people who voted for him would have known what they would be dealing with later on. It is dangerous and irresponsible. He harms our republic; his behavior shows a complete lack of understanding of the character of our Constitution, and he damages the name of the Czech Republic in Europe. However, I strongly believe that the Lisbon Treaty will be ratified."

Both Vondra and Křižan also criticized Klaus.

"I do not agree with Václav Klaus and his argument," Vondra said. "It is important that Klaus guarantees signing Lisbon when his conditions are fulfilled. If not, the government should appeal to the Constitutional Court and appoint someone to gemstone necklace sign it."

Křižan added, "We can only hope the current president will come round and act as we need him to, as it is necessary."

The press conference, one month before the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, came out of immense international interest in events of November 1989, Havel said. He then revealed that, on the pivotal date of Friday, November 17, 1989, when students took to wholesale pearl jewelry the streets, he was not even in Prague.

"I was being followed," he said, "By both the security forces and the international media. There was a student rally that night, but I decided to go to my house in the country. The reason for this was that I felt the students might think the older generation was trying to muscle in on their action. So, instead of being in Prague, I was in the country. But, as I listened to the radio coverage of the rally, I realized this was the turning point. So, the next day, I returned to Prague."

Mistakes in the aftermath of the revolution had been made, the panel agreed; then again, an "awful lot of mistakes had been avoided."

Chief among the mistakes was the breakup of Czechoslovakia and the lack of accountability demanded from former communist rulers.

Žantovský was adamant that more could have been done to reach out to
freshwater pearl necklace the Slovaks.

"I do think we could have tried to accommodate them more, to reach out more," he said. "It may not have saved Czechoslovakia, but I think we could have done more to show understanding of their concerns."

When asked by a Romanian journalist why the Velvet Revolution had been bloodless in comparison to that of Romania, Havel took a deep breath and replied, "The Czechs have a tendency to try to resolve matters in pubs rather than on battlefields. It is sometimes good, but sometimes not. Maybe this time it was good."

Havel had little time for those who continue to say life was better under communism.

"I know people who say this; some of my friends even say this. It is wrong," he said. "Under communism, you had no decisions to make; your life was governed for you. Now, you have to make so many decisions about what clothes to wear and work to do, where to live, how to budget. Living under communism was like living in a prison."

Vondra recalled the "exciting and fearful" days of 1989.

"We were optimistic, hopeful and, yes, excited. But there was, for a time, fear," he said. "There had been rumors a particular general would send his tanks onto the streets of Prague. But, then, the fear lessened. The atmosphere of Nov. 17, 1989 was special because the fear was suddenly gone. [Our country] was in our hands, and we knew we would not get messed about anymore. The fate of our country was at stake."

Ironically, it was shortly after Havel's brief arrest that he knew change was going to come.

"At the time of the fall of Berlin Wall," he said, "I remember being arrested and the StB [secret police] officer asking me, 'Sir, when do you think it is going to happen?' This was proof the fear of the regime was gone."

The writers can be reached at news@praguepost.com

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Sat 31-Mar-2012 22:59
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Monday, 26-Oct-2009 09:48

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Klaus, under pressure, likely to sign Lisbon

While the public debate about the Lisbon Treaty saw protesters and counter protesters gather outside Prague Castle Oct. 19, the government of Prime Minister Jan Fischer and President Václav Klaus were crafting language designed to freshwater pearl earrings abate Klaus' concerns over a human rights protocol in the treaty, likely leading to Lisbon's ratification by the year's end.

"The solution is now on the table," said Petr Drulák, director of the Prague Institute for International Relations.

For his part, Klaus has stepped back from earlier demands that a concrete exemption from the Lisbon's Charter on Fundamental Rights - meant to prevent the Czech Republic having to pay restitution to ethnic Germans expelled after World War II - be added directly to the treaty.
Instead, an addendum will be added to Croatia's accession treaty clarifying the application of the charter to guarantee that Sudeten Germans expelled by the Beneš Decrees would not be able to seek compensation in EU courts. This is similar to the way the EU made compromises with Ireland before its public referendum Oct. 2 and prevents Lisbon from having to be re-approved by all EU member states.

"I never said it would not be enough for me to dancing pearl have similar guarantees to the ones the European Council gave to Ireland," Klaus told daily Lidové noviny Oct. 17.

Less than a week earlier, however, Klaus' private secretary was sending the opposite message on a Czech television talk show.

"The path of Ireland is totally inadequate," Ladislav Jakl said Oct. 11. "The apparent Irish guarantees are essentially not guarantees."

Now, Klaus sounds increasingly resigned to signing the treaty, assuming, as most do, that the Constitutional Court will rule that Lisbon falls in line with the Czech Constitution.

"The train is already moving so quickly, and it is so far away that it might not be possible to gemstone necklace stop or return," Klaus said.

Klaus also concretely confirmed that UK Conservative leader David Cameron had sent a letter asking him to delay signing the Lisbon Treaty until next year, when the Conservatives are expected to win elections in the United Kingdom and are hoping to call for a public vote on the controversial accord.

As to meeting Cameron's request, "I cannot and will not," Klaus said. "They would have to freshwater pearl necklace [hold a referendum] in the coming days or weeks."

But, even as political leaders are building consensus, public opinion on the Lisbon Treaty remains divided, if not outright confused. About 150 anti-Klaus protesters gathered Oct. 19 outside Prague Castle, matched by about 50 Klaus supporters.

''The goal of the meeting is to send out a signal that most people definitely do not support the president's approach, that they wish the treaty to be signed," protest organizer Jan Šinágl said.

According to one public opinion poll, Šinágl is right. SANEP polling agency found that 58 percent of Czechs believe Klaus' Lisbon approach harms the country and that he should sign immediately. However, the Median polling agency found exactly the opposite with 65 percent of Czechs saying they supported Klaus' position on the Lisbon Treaty.

"Foreign policy issues are not something on which people vote," Drulák said. "They don't really know that much and have one opinion one day and another the next day."

While the Czech Republic is the last of 27 EU member states to ratify Lisbon - which reforms EU decision making and gives it a full time president - Slovakia has added an additional twist to
pearl jewelry wholesale the process. Slovakia, as it was part of Czechoslovakia, also has the Beneš Decrees on its books.

"Everything that ought to be negotiated for the Czech Republic must be approved by everybody, including us," said Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák. "We're not going to approve or vote for something that would put us into a disadvantageous or subordinated situation."

This at least raises the possibility that Slovak leaders with similar concerns to Klaus could end up blocking any compromise solution between Klaus and Fischer.

"We cannot allow any legal uncertainty," Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said.

But Fischer says Slovak opinion will be taken into account in formulating language for any exemption.

"The formulation is going to be such that [Fico] would not have to take this step," Fischer said at an Oct. 19 press conference.

After weeks of tension and harsh rhetoric, EU leaders are beginning to rest easy and are likely to see the results of internal Czech negotiations at a summit Oct. 29-30.

And, while he may reluctantly sign Lisbon, Klaus remains unapologetic about his stance.

"Disputes about freedom and democracy in Europe will certainly continue. They must continue," he said.

Monday, 26-Oct-2009 09:39

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PIANO NOBILE

Right from the first months of his pontificate, Paul V Borghese, availing himself of the advice of Cardinal Bartolomeo Cesi and of the young priest at the service of the latter, Don Michele Lonigo of Este, conceived the project of founding a main archive of the Holy See, the future Vatican Secret Archives. After having carefully examined various solutions to cultured pearl bracelet find the best place to concentrate all the documents, he chose the three rooms, so-called “Paoline”, next to the Sistine Hall: in these rooms that used to be the residence of the librarian cardinals, Paul V ordered to transfer the registers of the bulls and the briefs, the Camera books, various collections of documents up to the papacy of Pius V included. The transport, according to the detailed report by Michele Lonigo, who was at the time nominated praefectus registrorum et bullarum Bibliotecae Vaticanae, probably began in 1610, and carried on for several years until December 1614. For the occasion, the three Paoline rooms were cleaned up, floored, decorated and frescoed with scenes portraying gestures of donation made by various European Sovereigns to the Holy See: the frescoes that adorn the walls of the second and third room, according to Herwarth Röttgen, belong to freshwater pearl Marzio or Marco Ganassini (around 1560 – ✝ after 1621). In the frescoes of the vaults, it is possible to recognise the hand of the Dutch brothers, Paul and Mathijs Bril, who about thirty years earlier had decorated the walls of the Tower of Winds. The documentation was put away in poplar cabinets placed along the walls and furnished with the coat of arms of the Borghese family (the winged dragon and the crowned eagle). At the centre of each room there are a total of 20 small cabinets, 12 of which were marked with the emblem of the Pamphili family (a dove holding an olive twig with its bill), to which Innocent X (Giovanni Battista Pamphili, 1644-1655) belonged; another 2 cabinets were marked with the coat of arms of the Chigi family (a six-peak mountain surmounted by an eight-pointed star), the family from which Alexander VII (Fabio Chigi, 1655-1667) came from, who allowed the upper floor of the Building to be used to wholesale pearl jewelry keep the diplomatic correspondence of the Holy See, which formed the most ancient nucleus of the archives of the Secretariat of State; and finally, another 6 cabinets were decorated with the symbolic picture of the noble coat of arms of the Pignatelli family (three pots), to which Innocent XII (Antonio Pignatelli, 1691-1700) belonged.