Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-10-09
FACTS ABOUT prAal .
Wh"r- .h- Finest Are Pound and How That,
Growth Nay lie stimulated,


"h"r" 'h- fi"es, ARE Pound shd How rh-i,
Growth Nay lie Stimulated,
"A far back AS we have a history
for any gems. said an old-time pearl
faneier, 1--WE have Il record OF pearls
and, not even cSccpting the diamond
is there jewel so often spoken Of in
history, sacred aud profane. as the
pearl. There Is scarcely country IN
the face OF the globe where pearls have
not at some period been found. though
at the present day the principal
fisheries are confined to the COASTS nj
Ceylon, Japan, Java, Sumatra. Bahrein.
in the Persian Gulf aud the islands IN
the vicinity OF Panama.
The best pearls are obtained in the
Persian Gulf They excel in color
size, purity and that translucency
which gives this gem its greatest value
The pearl fisheries In the Persian Gulf
arc said to yield upward OF 81 900. 600
annually. Those of Panama reach
about the same figure. Pearls have
also been found in the waters of the
United States. and in 1853 considerable
excitement was occasioned by the dis
covery Of large pearls near Salem, in
New Jersey A New Jersey pearl
over an inch in diameter, found near
Paterson, was sent TO Paris, where il
was purchased by the Empress En-.
genie for ~, 800, and when the crown
jewels were sold last year by order OF
the Ferry Government it was resold
for So, 100, and is now the property of a
Il wealthy woman Of New York.
1.-The pearl is simply carbonate Of
lime, with the addition Of films OF ami.
NAL membrane between the MANY
layers Of mineral matter that, when
dry, gives the pearl its hardness.
Several species Of bivalve mollu,ks
secrete pearls, especially the true pearl
oyster, and among fresh water species
those sometimes found near Balti-
more.
"Can pearls be produced at the will
of m:in, or can they be multiplied
by manipulation? 1t is asserted by
oyster fishermen. and can be accepted
as true, that the pearl oyster has the
power of covering with additional
layers such portions ofits shell as need
strengthening, as well as objects intro
duced by accident or design. The Chi
nese and Japanese, taking advantage
# this, have long practiced the AR
= stimulating the secretion by intro
mcing beads made Of spar or powderet
glass and varnish, or sometimes turned
from mother-of-pearl. and thus do they
actually succeed in forcing the anina
to produce pearls at their will, though
If an inferior quality.
"One Of the curious circumstances
connected with the New Jersey pear
fever OF 1858 was the discovery of
few shells showing that many year
before some one had experimental upon
the pearl bearing oyster by dropping
small mother-of-poarl buttons iusid,
the shell, hoping that the ANNA
would, in course OF time, cover then
with its secretion. The experiment.
proved failure however, the result
I
being that the buttons became fastened
to the shells by the action THE secre
ton, but did not develop into pearls. "
Some time ago number OF smal
| pearls of the kind known in commerc'
a, seed pearls were sent from Bor
neo, under the name of breeding
| pearls These pearls are enclosed il
a glass tube along with some grains o
| rice ITO feed upon. The sender grayclJ
asserted that it had long been known
in Bornco that pearls when put up fol
some time in q box along with rice
| would reproduce their kind. Three 81
| Jour mOnths afterwad the grains q
rice enclosed with the pearls had th'
appearance of being partially eaten
| It is now several years since this ship
ment Of pearls and their food was re
,eived but the rice does not seem T.
have diminished to any greater exten
thau when they arrived, and the pearl
| themselves are no greater in circum
ference than when first seen.-N. ]
| letter.