Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-12-21

Va AccAiHB AeoHAss
Mr.. George F. Kunz, the well known
gem expert, is the author of mono
graph on the subject Of pearls. He de-
Ecribes the cultivation of the pearl oys-
ter. which is being carried on with sue
fess in the bay of Ago, on the Pacific coast
bf central Japan. This small sheet Of
water, three miles long and two miles
broad, is always calm and Is admirably
tadapted for the culture of the mollusk.
Pearl oysters were originally native there
and were found in great quantities. Fish
hng for them has been carried on for three
pr four centuries. Owing to overflshing
the yield between 1880 and 1885 was great
by diminished.
Fearing that the oysters would become
extinct, experiments were made with a
view Of propagating them artificially.
This plan was suggested by the late Ad-
lrniral Yanagi, president Of the Japan
Fisheries society During the breeding
season the taking of the shellfish was for
bidden, and spat was collected on tiles
stoncs, logs and ropes, the methods adopt
ed being the same as have been tried sue
cessfully with the edible oysters Of Ameri-
lea and Europe. In this way tho yield OF
pearls has been restored and the japanese
lgovernment contemplates an extension OF
the industry In other waters.
Before this methods had been found for
tho production of real pearls by natures
laid A Frenchman named Bouchon-
Brandcly has been making interesting ex-
pcriments In this direction recently. He
bored holes in the shells OF pearl oysters
with gimlet, introduced through the per-
forations little balls of glass and stopped
1.-THE openings with corks. At the end OF
-four weeks the balls were found to be cov-
ered with thin layer of pearl. In six
months the layer was sufficiently thick to
Ibo permanent. The size Of the gem thus
manufactured is in proportion to the time
THAT has elapsed. or course it has limit,
inasmuch as the mollusk will not deposit
nacre indefinitely, the only purpose of the
lnacre being to protect the oyster from irri-
Itation by the intruding object.
Pearls can be made of various colors by
10 very simple process. Each moliusk de-
posits it's own sort of nacre. The nacre
of tho pearl bearing, fresh water mussel
callcd the unio is pink Pearl oysters
produce black pearls, gray pearls or pearls
of pure white, according to the part of the
animal where tho nucleus makes its lodg-
ment
At tho Smithsonian institution in
Washington is exhibited an artificial pearl
as big as pigeons egg and of an exqui-
site pink color. 1t is formed about pellet
of becswax, which was placed for the pur-
bose in the shell of living unio. Recent
Experiments made by the fish commission
lshow that marine mollusks can be kept
admirably in aquariums. Thus there
lscoms to be no reason why every one
lshould not maintain his own pearl fishery
lon q small SCALE collecting the crop at
Suitable intervals.
4 Tho Chinese have been most successful
lin producing artificial pearls. The bust
lness constitutes an important industry.
lit Is confined to two villages in the north
lern part of the province of Chih-Kiang.
lin the months of May and June large
quantities of lnussels are brought in bas-
ikets from lake 80 miles distant, and
tho biggest of them are selected for the
operation that il to be performed. Into
1.-THE shell of each mollusk are introduced
small objects which it is intended the BIZ
valve shall coat with tho pearly substance
lit secretes. Sometimes little balls of earth
Ere used. Such pellets are made of mud
from the bottom of water courses, dried
land powdered with the juice Of the seeds
of the campbor tree.
To place these nuclei inside of the mus
kels is a process of no little difficulty. The
shell Is opened with small instrument Of
mother of pearl, the mantle of the animal
lis gently lifted, and the pellets are laid
beneath the mantle. The shell is then per-
'mitted to close. Finally the mollusks are
deposited in canals or pools. They are
placed five to six inches apart at depths of
from two to five feet in lots of 5000 to
so, 600. In November they are lifted and
lopened. The animals are removed from
tho shells and the pellets detached with a
sharp knife. BY this time they are fasten-
ed tightly to the inner surface of the shells
and have become covered with coating
of nacre. Next a little hole is cut in each
pearl at the point where it has been at
tached TO the shell of the mussel. Through
this opening the earth which composed
1.-The nucleus is removed The hollow pearl
lis then filed with melted yellow rosin,
land the oritice is artfully covered with q
piece of mother of pearl.
Tho pearls thus formed are fat OH the
bottom and in shape are somewhat more
than hemisphercs They have much of
the luster and beauty of the real gems and
Iaro sold so cheaply as to be procurable by
Employed to considerable extent by jew
ielers, who set them in tiaras and various
ornaments for women.
Partisan jewellers are very clever In the
art of .'peeling" pearls They will take
pearl that Is not pretty at all and remove
its outer coat, revealing a beautiful gem
Within A pearl is composed of alternate
layers of nacre and animal tissue, and the
process of peeling is very difficult. The
tools employed are n sharp knife, various
sorts of files, pearl powder and u piece of
leather The pearly coats are extremely
hard and must be cut off piece by piece,
1.-THE operator relying more on the sense OF
touch conveyed by the blade OF the knife
than on the sense of sight.
Pearls found imbedded In the mother
of pearl of tho oyster shell are made mar
lketable by skillful treatment with acids.
lExperts know how to make pearls Of any
color black in bath of nitrate of silver,
land by other chemical means they can
turn them to rose color, lilac or gray.
Pearls of these unusual tints bring fancy
prices.
A few years ago pearlshop purchased
Ian old gold brooch in a small German
town for $50. In the center Of it was
II, uf or,fh hoy