 Johannes Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance (detail), c. 1664, National Gallery of Art, Widener Collection Scholars once thought that the balance contained gold or pearls; however, recent microscopic examination of the surface suggests that Vermeer did not paint these highlights with lead-tin yellow, the pigment he used elsewhere on this canvas to represent gold. While the reflections resemble the specular highlights on pearls, close study reveals that Vermeer used a different technique in this area of the painting -- the pan reflections are achieved with single layers of paint, whereas the pearls are painted in two layers. The fact that the pearls on the jewelry boxes and table are bound in strands further reinforces the conclusion that the scales are empty, since pearls most likely would have been weighed individually. For these reasons, Vermeer scholars now believe that the artist intended to depict the balance as empty, save for the diffused reflections of light from the window. 
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