Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-12-28
ARTIFICIAL PEARLS.
MADE OF ANY DESIRED COLOR WITH
NATURES = DISTANCE.

Manufacture of Gems-The Method En-
plOycd by the Chinese-The Clever Ar
of Feeling Pearls.
Mr.. George T.. Kunz, tho well known
gem expert, is the author of a mono
graph on the subject of pearls He de
scribcs the cultivation of the pearl oys
ter, which is being carried on with sue
cess in the bay Of Ago, on the Pacific ooas
of central Japan. This small sheet o.
water three miles long and two IL lie
broad, is always calm and is admirably
adapted for the culture of the moilusb
Pearl oysters were originally native there
and were found in great quantities. Fish
ing for them has been carried on for three
or four centuries. Owing to overflshing
the yield between 1880 and 1885 was great,
ly diminished.
Fearing that the oysters would becOmd
extinct, experiments were made with q
view of propagating them artincially.
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 spat was collected on tiles,
stones, logs and ropes, the methods adopt.
ed being the same as have been tried sue
cessfuIly with the edible oysters Of Amcri.
ca and Europe. In this way the yield OF
pearls has been restored, and the japanese
government contemplatGs an extension OF
the industry in other waters.
Before this methods had been found for
tho production of real pearls by natures
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 gimlct, introduced through the per-
forations little balls of glass and stopped
the openings with corks. At the end of
four weeks the balls were found to be COW
cred with thin layer of pearl. In six
months the layer was sufficiently thick to
DO permanent. The size of the gem thus
manufactured is in proportion to the time
that has elapsed OF course it has a limit,
inasmuch as the mollusk will not deposit
nacro indefinitely, the only purpose of the
nacre being to protect the oyster from irri-
tation by the intruding object.
Pearls can be made of various colOrs by
a very simple process. Each mollusk de.
posits its own sort of nacro. The nacre
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 tho
animal where tho nucleus makes its lodg.
mont.
At tho Smithsonian institution in
Washington is exhibited an artificial pearl
as big as a pigeons egg and of an exqui-
site pink color. 1t is formed about pellet
of beeswax, which was placed for the pur-
pose in tho shell of living unto. Recent
experiments mado by the fish commission
show that marine mOllusks can be kept
admirably in aquaTiums. Thus there
seems to be no reason why every one
should not maintain his own pearl fishery
on small SCALE collecting tho crop at
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 Chih-Kiang
In the months Of May and June largo
quantities of musscls are brought in bas-
kets from a lake 30 miles distant, and
the biggest of them arc selected for the
operation that is to DO performed. Into
the shell of each mOllusk are introduced
small objects which it is intended the BIZ
valve shall coat with the pearly substance
it seoretes. 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 tho 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
co. 900. In November they are lifted and
opened. The animals are removed from
the shells and the pellets detached with a
sharp knife. BY this time they are fasten-
ed tightly to che inner surface of the shells
and have become covered with a coating
of nacre. Next q 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
the nucleus is removed. The hollow pearl
Is then flied with melted yellow rosin,
and the oriflce is artfully covered with a
piece of mother Of pearl.
The pearls thus formed are fiat on the
bottom and in shape are somewhat more
than hemispheres. They have much of
the luster and beauty of the real gems and
are sold so cheaply as to be procurable by
all who care to possess them. They are
employed to a considera BILE extent by jew
elers, who set them in tiaras and various
ornaments for women.
Partisan jewellers are very clever in the
art of ''pee'ing" pearls. They wi take a
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 tho
process of peeling is very difficult. Tho
tools employed are sharp knife, various
sorts of files, pearl powder and piece of
leather. The pearly coats are extremely
hard and must be cut off piece by piece,
the operator relying more on the serse of
touch conveyed by the blade of the knife
than on the sense of sight.
Pearls found imbedded in the mother
of pearl of tbs oyster shell are made mar
ketable by skillful treatment with acids.
Experts know how to make pearls of any
color black in bath of nitrate Of silver,
and 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
an old gold brooch in small German