Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-08-24

The processes by which the Chinese
produce artificial pearls are as re-
markable as they are ingenious, says
the Washington Star. This business
constitutes quite an important indus
try. 1t is confined to two villages in
the northern part Of the Province of
Chihkiang, which is a Silk-producng
region. In the months Of May and
June large quantities of muSsels are
brought in baskets from a lake thirty
miles distant and the biggest of the
molluSkS are selected for the opera
ton that is to be performed Into the
shell of each mussel are introduced a
number of small objects which it is in
tended that the biyalve shall coat with
the pearly substance it secreteS Some
times little pills of earth are used
Such pellets are made of mud. taken
from the bottom of water courses
camphOr tree seeds. In the same way
are employed diminutive images, US
ually of Buddha, but often of fishes
They are made of lead, cast very thin
by pouring the molten metal upon q
board which is carved with the i'm
preston.
TO place these nuclei inside of the
mlssels is n process of no little deli
cacy. The shell is usually opened
with a small instrument of ,mother-of
pearl and the manteI of the animal is
gently lifted. At the same time the
images or pills are laid in two rows
beneath the mantel The shell is ther
permitted to close. Finally the mol
IuskS are deposited in canals or pools
fVe or SIX inches apart, at depths OF
from two to five feet, in lots of 5.OOC
to $4,000. In November the mussels
are collected and opened. The ami
mails are removed from the shells and
the pellets or images are detached by
sharp knife. BY this time they are
fastened tightly to the inner surface
OF the shells and have become covered
with a coating Of nacre The next
process is to cut away the matrices
of earth or lead about which the arti
fetal pearls are formed Into the
cavity thus made in each one is poured
melted yellow resin, and the Orifice
is artfully covered over by a piece of
mother-of-pearl. The pearls formed
about the earthen pellets are fiat on
the bottom, and in shape are some
what more than hemispheres. They
have much of the IllSter and beauty
OF the real gems. and are sold at a
rate so cheap rs to be prOcurable bv
all who care to possess them. They
are employed to Il considerable extent
by jewelers., who set then in tiaras and
various ornaments of female attire
Those made from images are employ
ed rs ornaments and amuletS OH the
caps of children. A few shells are
sent to market with the pearls adher-
ing, for sale to the curious and super
stitiouS.
Another ingenious art practiced by
the Chinese is that of taking" pearls
1t consists in peeling them, that is 10
say, depriying them of imperfect outer
layers in order to make them more
beautiful. AS is well known these
gems are composed of alternate layers
of nacre and animal tissue. The pro,
cess referred to is very difficult, the
tools employed being a sharp knife
der and a piece of leather. To make
the final polish a particular kind OF
leaf is utilized The pearly coats are
extremely hard and must be cut of
piece by piece, the operator relying
more on the sense of touch conveyed
by the blade of the knife than on the
sense of sight.
Peeling is something practiced by
skillful jewelers. in Europe. A few
years ago an expert in such matters
purchased an old gold brooch in {
small German town for $40. In the
center of it was what looked like {
spherical piece of hematite, which is
an ore of iron. On examination i
proved to be a superb black pear
weighing eighty-seven grains. The
outer coat had become faded by sun
light, but when it was removed ont
of the most beautiful gems of thi:
sort known in modern times was eX
posed to view of a luStrouS black. [
was held to be worth $4,000. Per
fectly round pearls over twenty-five
grains in weight are extremely scarce
and fetch high prices, being sough
after to form the center of necklaces
Pearls are found in the shells o
many kinds of mollusks. They Occur
in the common edible oyster, but ar,
not of value. Very large white one:
are occasionally obtained from tht
giant clam, which is the biggest known
bivalve, but they are not worth much
The shells of the giant clam are oc
casionally used for baptisnal fonts il
churches. The animal is found, buriet
up to the lips, hinge downward, il
coral reefs. Men have lost their live.
by stepping between the open valves
which closed Immediately upon the
foot, holding them until they drowned
Tt is said that pearls of a yellow 81
color are sometimes obtained from thu
pearly nautilus But the natives O
the Sooloo archipelago throw then
away, considering them unluclSy
Pearl-bearing mJssels are found in thu
lakes and streams of many parts OF
the world, including the United States
These mollusks have yielded grea
numbers of valuable gems in this coun
try, so that attempts have been made
to establish pearl fishing on a com
mercial basis in some rivers.
The chief sources Of supply OF
mother-of-pearl shells are the Torres
straits and West Australian fisheries