Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-06-19
"NIy pearls are dying"


thing strange in the appearance OF the
pearls. That peculiar white, which ex-
lists only in pearls, and which is so dis
tinct from anything else in natwe that
n,inters can fad for it no other naue
than "pearl," had vanished. The gems
had dull, sickly look, the hue seen on
the face of one mortally ill. They had
no lustre.
"They are dead" said the expert, in
matter .of-fact way
The owner of the pearls turned white
with fear.
"Wnl they they always be like
that" she asked, tremblingly. "Are
they dead foreverl"
"Oh, no" answered the expert with
\ smile. "Pearls are often brought to
us in that condition. You need no; be
frightened. It's rather common sort
of happening"
The lady, reassured, grew curious and
asked the cause of the seeming decay OF
her prlzed pearls.
"First," said the young man, "tell me
how long it is since you have worn this
necklace"
She explained that she was a partial in
valid, and had gone into society at very
rare intervals during the past two years.
In that period, she said, the pearls had
been in their case. The latter had been
nut away in a cabinet in her bed-chamber,
"Just as Thought, said the jeweler.
"Your pearls are ill.
"Illw
..Ycg. Pearls require fresh air as
much as human beings. More, indeed,
for while a man may spend years without
sunlight and still he in apparent good
health. you cannot treat pearls in the
same fashion without making them lose
their lustre. You have kept these pearls
in a closed box, practically without air.
You must give them a chance to breathe. E"
"Wby," said his questioner, "you talk
as if pearls were living things."
"They dislike confinement fully as
much as if they possessed Senses" was
the answer. "Your necklace shows that. "
He went on to advise the lady to wear
her pearls when she went out; or, since
GOOD taste dictated that such necklace
should not be worn On the street, he
amended his advice by suggesting the
advisability of placing the pearls in an
onen window where the sun could shine
on them, provided that it was not very
hot day. II the day was damp,
muggy one, so much the better.
Pearls need moisture, he said.
"They seem to absorb it, Follow my
advice, and in two weeks your dead
pearls will be alive and in perfect health"
She thanked him and withdrew.
A Journal reporter, who had overheard
the colloquy, asked the expert for some
further particulars regarding the strange
complaint which thus overcomes the pre-
cious level Of the ocean. In reply he
gave some interesting information.
Whit is called "pcarl sickness" has
been known almost rs long as the jewel
itself has been known. The pearl, as
well-known, is formed by the introdnc.
ton, into a shell-fish, of grain of sand
or some other hard substance. The
minute particle irritates the shell-hsh'
and the latter, for self-prOtection, pro-
ceeds to coat il with the glutinous mat
ter of which the inner side Of his shell is
composed. The gradual accretion OF
this matter around the kernel makes the
pearl.
From this it will be seen that the pearl
is far from hard. As matter OF fact,
it is porous, almost spongy, and this ex-
plains the experts statement that pearls
need dampness in order to retain their
perfect Iustre. He told the reporter
that there is no truth in the statement
that pearls attacked By their so-cillei
sickness will crumble into dust il al
lowed to remain in the place which has
affected them. They will lose their lu'-
tire; but, even il kept in darkness an1
dryness for decade, air will restore
them to their beauty.
"Climate," " he explained, "has little
effect on pearls. OF course, they will
not retain their perfect hue in high,
dry country, such as Colorado; but, even
there, if worn once in while, the nat
ural moisture OF the wearers body will
be sufficient to kaep them in good ccn.
dition."