Birmingham age-herald., 1894-12-19
ARTIFICIAL PEARLS.
MADE OF ANY DESIRED COLOR WITH
 NATURES ASSISTANCE.

gem expert is the author of mono- graph on the subject of pearls. Ho de- scribes the cultivation of the pearl oys- ter, which is being carried on with suc- cess in the bay of Ago, on the Pacific coast of central Japan. This small sheet of water three miles long and two IT iles broad, is always calm and is admirably adapted for the culture of the molusk. Pearl oysters were originally native thora and wero found in great quantities. Fish ing for them has been carried on for three or four centuries. Owing to everlasting tho yield between 1880 and 1885 was great ly diminished.
 Fearing that tho oysters would become extinct, experiments were made with view of propagating them artiflcially. This plan was suggested by tho late Ad- miral Yanagi, president of tho Japan Fisheries society. During tho breeding season the taking of the shellflsh was for bidden, and spat was collected on tiles, stones, logs and ropes, the methods adopt ed being tho same as have been tried sue cessfully with the edible oysters of Ameri- ca and Europe. In this way the yield of pearls has been restored, and the Japanese government contemplates an extension of the industry in other waters.
 Before this methods had been found for the production of real pearls by nature's aid. A Frenchman named Bouchon- Brandely has been making interesting ex- periments in this direction recently. He bored holes in the shells of pearl oysters with gimlet, introduced through theper- forations little balls of glass and stopped tho openings with corks. At the end of four weeks the balls were found to bo GOV cred with thin layer of pearl. In six months the layer was sufficiently thick to bo permanent. The size of the gem thus manufactured is in proportion to the time that has elapsed. Of course it has limit, inasmuch as the mollusk will not deposit nacro indefinitely, the only purpose of tho nacre being to protect the oyster from irri tation by the intruding object.
 Pearls can be made of various colors by very simple process. Each mollusk de- posts it's own sort of nacre. The nacre of the pearl bearing, fresh water mussel called tho unio is pink. Pearl oysters produce black pearls, gray pearls or pearls of pure white, according to the part of the animal where the nucleus makes it's lodg- ment.
 At the Smithsonian institution in Washington is exhibited an artificial pearl as big as pigeons egg and of an exqui- site pink color. It is formed about pellet of beeswax, which was placed for the pur- pose in tho shell of q living unio. Recent experiments made by the fish commission show that marine mollusks can be kept admirably in aquariums. Thus there seems to be no reason why every one should not maintain his own pearl fishery on small scale, collecting the crop at suitable intervals.
 Tho Chinese have been most successful in producing artificial pearls. The busi- ness constitutes an important industry. It is confined to two villages in the north ern part of the province of Chih- Kiang. In the months of May and June large quantities of mussels are brought in bas- kets from lake 80 miles distant, and the biggest of them are selected for the operation that is to be performed. Into the shell of each mollusk are introduced small objects which it is intended tho bi- valve shall coat with the pearly substance it secretes. Sometimes little balls of earth are used. Such pellets are made of mud from the bottom of water courses, dried and powdered with the juice of the seeds of the camphor tree.
 To place these nuclei inside of the mus sells is process of no little difficulty. The shell is opened with a small instrument of mother of pearl the mantle of the animal is 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 50,000. In November they are lifted and opened. The animals are removed from tho shells and tho pellets detached with sharp knife. By this time they arc fasten- ed tightly to the inner surface of the shells and have become covered with coating of nacre. Next little hole is cut in each pearl at the point where it has been at- taohed to the shell of the mussel. Through this opening the earth which composed the nucleus is removed. The hollow pearl is then filled with melted yellow rosin, and the orifco is artfully covered with a piece of mother of pearl.
 The pearls thus formed are flat on the bottom and in shape are somewhat more than hemispheres. They have much of the luster and beauty of the real gems and arc sold so cheaply as to Do procurable by all who care to possess them. They are employed to a considerable extent by jew. elers, who set them in tiaras and various ornaments for women.
 Parisian 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 beautiful gem within. A pearl is composed of alternate layers of naere and animal tissue, and the process of peeling is very difficult. The tools employed are sharp knife, various sorts of files, pearl powder and @ piece of leather. The pearly coats arc extremely hard and must be cut off piece by piece, the operator relying moro on the sense of touch conveyed by the blade of the knife than on tho sense of sight
 Pearls found imbedded in the mother of pearl of tho oyster shell are made mar ketable by skillful treatment with acids. Experts know how to mako pearls of any color black in bath of nitrate of silver, and by other chemical means they can tuNn them to rose color, lilac or gray. Pearls of these unusual tints bring fancy prices.
 A few years ago pearlshop purchased an old gold brooch in a small German town for SEQ. In the center of it was what looked like a spherical piece of hema- tite, which is an ore of iron. On examina- t,l l,ao uI