The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1891-01-31
AMERICAN PEARLS.
MANY FINE GEMS FOUND IN
THIS COUNTRY,

to Come from Ohio Streams-How
Pearls are Formed-The Most
Valuable Pearls.
There IS o current expression about
pearls and swine which would seem to
have wider application in a certain
sense than most people have suspected.
The sense referred to is this While
pearls are to be found in the streams and
rivers ali over our country. few appreciate
the fact. People, with the exception of
those who are well informed on the sub
Jcct, have vague idea that all pearls
come from the remote East. and do not
suspect that some very fine specimens
nave been found iii American waters.
lie has even been stated by gentleman
connected with the Tiffany firm of New
York that the state of Ohio furnishes the
handsCmest specimens OF the American
pearl. The same gentleman says that his
firm possesses several Wisconsin pearls
valued at 5000. The finding Of American
pearls began about thirty years ago,
when one was found III Bound Brook, y.
j. Tiffany gave $1,000, with . watch
and chain, to the discovercr, for this gem,
and finally, after passing though many
hands, il came into the possession of the
Empress Eugene.
The discovery Of his pearl created q
great excitement, and the waters in the
neighborh0Od where il was found were
carefully searched by many would-bc
pearl finders. Nothing was found as
valuable rs the first one, although one
was destroyed by being cooked before It
was noticed, which would have been
worth, it was estimated, $4,000.
Since that time they have been found
almost everywhere ard Just at present
there is an exciting search being prose
Cuted for them in II secluded pond up in
Michigan; already very valuable gems
havebcen discovered in this locality, one
of the last places where any one would
have supposed them to exist.
Although il is claimed by the above
mentioned representative OF the Tiffany
firm that the best white pearls found IN
America come from the Big and Little
! Miami rivers of this State, the Times
Star reporter found upon inquiry among
the jewellers that the Miami pearls were
of these gentlemen said, when asked II
he had seen any: ''lcs. 4 man came III
here no. long ago with q handful of
them. They are too irregular in shape
and toe impure to suit Or purposes.
"a friend d! mine once spent his va
caiior upon :hc Miami gathering them
! with the expectation cf earning quite !
sum in t.:at way. lie brought thcm 10
us. ani W. tod him we could not give Z
! della: ana half tor the whole lot.
'.WhCIe can the American pearls be
! found:'
well, Michigan is the place Just now
/, that Is attracting the most attention
| Bus nobody can tell where they will he
found next. Diamonds have been found
unexpectedly in all kiuds Of oUt-of-thc
way places, and it is just the same IN the
case of the pearl"
"What gives the pearl It's valuel'
1.-The most valuable pearls arc Of pure
white and perfectly round. This is the
only GEM which does aOt need the 'api
darv's art 20 reveal its beauty. Some
times when the outer covering is spotted
or otherwise imperfect it Is peeled off
Underneath vii! be found Il spotless sur
face. and the gem will pass rs one smalle
bu: more valuable than the original.
Few people understand about tn
making ot this precious gem. A grain o
sand or some other small and irritatin!
particle gets lodged in an oyster or mus
sell she'll. The oyster cannot remove ii
but can get rid Of is irritating effects.
deposits layer ate. layer of o secretio
Of lime and hidec tie irritating grain i
mother of pearl In China advantage i
taken of this fact. 20 obtain most del
cate pearl figures. Snail pellets OF ella
are moulded into various shapes or meta
images are made; these are inserted be
tween the shells of river mussels in tn
month of May and left there until Nc
vember. The mussel by that time has dc
tosited several layers of nacre' or moth
er of pearl and pearl image has bee
obtained, which could not have been Gu
out of completely formed pearl.
at thus happens that when the exit
rior covering is imperfect it can be peele
off. A pearl is like an onion in that r,
spect and consists of many concentr
spherical layers. But no matter how f,
sou may peel you rarely find the graf
which caused the construction of II
beautiful gem.
1.-THE perfectly rounded pearl, hay
said. is the most valuable, other thins
: being equal. Next in order Of Walt
comes the pear-shaped, and last the egl
shaped. Some have the form of button
but these have to be cut into shape, an
when they are cut they do not posse
; the lustre, which is a quality that rende
|: q pearl valuable.
.'While the pure white is the most va