The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-12-29
GEMS MADE BY HAND
MADE OF ANY DESIRED COLOR WITH
NATURES ASSISTANCE.
The Cultivation of Pearl Oysters add the
Manufacture of Gems-The Method Era.
ployed by the Chinese-Ths Clever Art
OF Feeling Pearls.


OF Feeling Pearls.
Mr.. George F. Kunz, tho we'll known
gem expert. is the author Of . mono
graph on the subject of pearls. He de
scribes the cultivation of the pearl oys
ter. which Is being carried on with sue
cess in the bay of Ago. on the Pacific coast
of central Japan. This small sheet oil
water, three miles long and two n lies
broad, is always calm, and is admirably
adapted for the culture Of the moilusk.
Pearl oysters were originally native there
and were found in great quantities Fish.
ing fer them has been carried On for three
or four centuries Owing TO everlasting
the yield between 1850 and 1855 was great
~ diminished
Fearing that the oysters would become
extinct. experiments were made with
view OF propagating them artiflcially.
This plan was suggested by the late Ad
miral Yanagi. president Of the Japan
Fisheries society. During the breeding
season the taking Of the shellflsh was for.
hidden. and spar was collected on tiles,
stones. logs and ropes. the methods adopt
ed being the same as have been tried sue
cessfuliy 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 natures
aid. A Frenchman named Bouchou.
Brandely has been making interesting ex-
periments in this direction recently. He
bored holes in the shells OF pearl oysters
with simlet, introduced through the per-
forations little balls of glass and stopped
the openings with corks. At the end OF
four weeks the balls We're found to be COW
cred with thin layer of pearl. In six
months the layer was sufficiently thick to
be permanent. The size of the gem thus
manufactured is in proportion to the time
that has elapsed. or course it has a limit,
inasmuch as the mollusk will not deposit
nacre indefinitely, the only purpose of the
nacre being 10 protect the oyster from irri.
tation by the intruding object.
Pearls can be made of various colors by
q very simple process. Each mollusk de-
posts its own sort of nacrc. The uacre
of the pearl bearing, fresh water mussel
called the unto 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 its lodg-
ment.
At the Smithsonian institution in
Washington is exhibited an artificial pearl
as big as pigeons egg and of an exqut-
site pink color 1t is formed about pellet
of beeswax, which was placed for the pur
pose in the shell of living unto. Recent
experiments made by the fish commission
show that marine mollusks can be kept
admirably in aquariums. Thus theirs
seems to be no reason why every one
should not maintain his own pearl fishery
on a small scale, collecting the crop ut
suitable intervals.
The Chinese have been most successful
in producing artificial pearls. The bust
ness constitutes an important industry.
1t is confined to two villages in the north
ern part of the province OF Chin Kiang.
In the months of May and June large
quantities of mussels are brought in bas-
kets from a lake 80 miles distant, and
the biggest OF them are selected for the
operation that is to be performed. Into
the she'll of each mollusk are introduced
small objects which it is intended the BIZ
valve shall coat with the pearly substance
1t 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 os
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
the shells and the pellets detached with
sharp knife BY this time they are fasten
cd tightly TO the inner surface Of the shells
and have become covered with a coating
of nacre. Next little hole is cut in each
pearl at the point where it has been at J
tached to the shell Of the mussel. Through /
this opening the earth which composed /
the nucleus is removed. The hollow pearl /
is then filed with melted yellow rosin, |
end the orifce is artfuliy covered with a
piece OF mother Of pearl.
The pearls thus formed are fas on the I
bottom and in shape arc somewha. more I
than hemispheres. They have much OF 1
the luster and beauty OF the real gems and .
are sold so cheaply as to DO procurable by .
all who care TO possess them They are /
employed TO a considerable extent BY Jew. i
elers who set them in tiaras and various .
ornaments for women
Partisan jewellers are very clever IN the /
art OF peeling' pearls They will take a
pearl that is not pretty az all and remove /
its outer coat, revealing beautiful gem /
within. A pearl is composed OF alternate
layers OF nacre and animal tissue and the .
process OF peeling il very difficult. The 4
tools employed are a sharp knife, various
sorts Of files, pearl powder and piece OF
leather The pearly coats are e1trensiy
hard and must be cut of piece By piece,
the operator relying more on the sense 81
touch conveyed by the blade OF tho knifs
than on the sense Of sight.
Pearls found imbecded Ia the mother
OF pearl OF the oyster shell are made mar
ketsble hy skilltul treatment with acids.
Experts know how TO make pearls Of any
color black in bath Of nitrate CT silver,
and by other chemical means they can
turn them TO rose color, lilac or gray
Pearls of these unusual rints brig fancy
prices
a few years sso a pearlshop purchased
sn old gold brooch in q small German
town for $50. In TIE center Of 4. Was
what looked Ike a spherical piece OF herns-
,ite, which is an ore OF iron. On exarpins-
ton IL proved 70 be superb black psarl
weighing - grains The outer coat had
become faded b. sunlight. but when 10
was removed one Of the most BEAUTIFUL
gems ot this kind Known in modern times
Was exposed 70 view- IL was q lustrors
black and w.s said % Be worth So 10 |