Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-14
ARTIFICIAL PEARLS MADE
OF sLaNY DESIRED C0LoRs WITH
NATURES ASSISTANCE.
The Cultivation of Pearl Oysters
and the Manufacture of Gems-The
Method Employed by the Chinese.
Art of Feeling Pearls,


cess In tho bay Of Ago, on the Pacific coas.
Of central Japan. This small sheet OF
water, three miles long and two II lies
broad, is always calm and is admirably
adapted for tho culture OF the moilusk.
Pearl oysters were originally native there
and wero found in greut quantities. Fish
ing for them has been carried on for three
or four centuries. Owing to everlasting
the yield between 1880 and $50 was great
ly diminished.
Fearing that tho oysters would become
extinct, experiments were made with
view OF propGgating them artigclnlly.
This plan was suggested By the Tate Ad-
miral Nnnagl, president OF tho Japan
Fisheries society. During tho breeding
season the taking Of the shollsh was for
hidden. and spnt was collected on tiles,
stones, logs and ropes, the methods adopt.
cd being the same as have been tried sue
CCssfully with the edible oysters Of Amori-
ca and Europe. In this way tho yield Of
pearls has been restored, and tho japanese
government contemplutes an extension Of
the industry In other waters.
Before this methods had been found for
the production Of real pearls by naturo's
aid, A Frcnchman named Bouchun.
Brnndcly has boon making interesting OK.
pcrincnts in this direction recently. Ho
bored holes in the shells OF pearl oysters
with gimlot introduced through the per-
foratious little balls Of glass and stopped
the openings with curks At the end Of
our weeks the balls wero found to DO GOV.
cred with u thin layer Of pearl In six
months the layer was sufficiently thick to
DO permanent Tho size OF the gem thus
manufactured Is IN proportion to tho time
that has elapsed. OF course it has limit
innsmuch as tho mollusk will not deposit
nacro indefinitely, the only purpose Of tho
micro being TO protect the oyster from irrl-
tation 10y tho intruding object.
Pearls can be made OF various culors by
very simple process. Each molusH dc.
posits its own sort Of nacro. The nacre
Of the pearl bearing, fresh water mussel
called tho unto IL pink. Pearl oysters
produce black pearls, gray pearls or pearls
Of pure white, according to the purt Of tho
animal whoro the nucleus makes its lolg.
mont.
At tho Smithsonian institution in
Washington Is exhibited an artificial pearl
ms big MS pigeons egg and Of an exqui-
sito pink color 1t Is formed about pellet
Of becsw0z, which was placed for tho pur.
pose in the shell of living unto. Recent
experiments made by the fish commission
HhRN AhAN AAAAlllAt lAlNllAEhh EAAh Ut kllL
admirably IL nquuriums, 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 busl-
ness constitutes an important industry.
IL Is confined to two villages in tho north
crn part Of tho province OF Chin Kiang
In tho months Of May and June large
quantities Of mussols are brought In bns-
kets from a lake 30 miles distant, and
the biggest Of them are solicited for the
operation that Is to be- performed. Into
the shell Of each molusk arc introduced
small objects which It Is intended tho bi.
valve shall coat with the pcnrly substance
it secrctos. Sometimes little balls Of earth
arc used. Such pcllots arc mudc Of mud
from the bottom Of water courses, dried
and powdered with tho juice OF tho secls
Of tho camphor tree,
To place these nuclei inside Of the mus
sols Is a process OF no little difficulty, The
shell Is opened with a smnll instrument OF
mother Of pearl tho mantle Of tho animn,
Is gently lifted, and tho pellets are laid
beneath the mantle Tho shell is thun por.
mitted to close. Finally the mollusks arc
deposited In canals or pools. They are
placed five to six inches apart at depths Of
from two TO tyo foot In lots OF 1000 to
10000. In November they arc lifted and
opened. Tho animals are removed from
tho shells and tho pullets detached with u
sharp knife BY this tiino they are faston-
cd tightly TO the inner surface Of tho shells
and have become covered with u coating
OF nacrc. Next little holo is cut In each
pearl at tho point where 1t has been ut
tuohod to tho shell OF tho musscl Through
this opening tho earth which composed
the nucleus Is removed. Tho hollow pearl
is then nlled with melted yoilow rosin,
and tho orince is nrtfully covered with n
picco of mother Of pearl.
Tho pearls thus formed are fiat on the
bottom and In shape arc somewhat more
than homlsphores. They have much Of
tho luster and beauty OF tho real gems and
arc sold so chcaply as to DO proourablo by
all WHO caro- to possess them. They arc
employed to considcrabl extent by low
olers who set them In tisras and various
ornaments for women.
Partisan jewellers nrc very clever in tho
art OF ''pce'ing" pearls They wi take
pearl that is not pretty at all and remove
It's outer coat, revealing beautiful gem
within. pearl Is composed OF alternate
layers OF nacro and animal tissue, and tho
process of peoling Is very difficult. The
tools employed aro u sharp knife, various
sorts Of files, pearl powder and piece OF
leather The pcarly coats arc extremely
hard and must DO cut of piece by piece.
the operator relying more on the serso OF
touch conveyed by tho blade of tho knife
than on the scnso Of sight
Pearls found Undecided In tho mother
OF pearl of tho oysto. shell nre made mar.
ketahlo 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
turn them TO roso color, lilac or gray
Pearls of those unusual tints bring fanoy
prices.
few years ago pearlshop purchased
mn old gold brooch in small German
town for $50, In the confer Of 1t was
what locked Ike spherical pleco OF hcmn
tlte, which 10 an orc Of iron. On oxamina.
tion II proved to DO superb black pearl
weighing u grains Tho outer coat had
become faded by sunlight, hut when it
wos removed one Of tho most beautiful
gems Of this kind known in modern times
was exposed TO Wow 10 WINS lustrous
biack and was snid 10 DO worth $40. 600.
Perfectly round poarls over 20 grains in
weight arc aearco and fetch hugo prices,
being sought after to form the ccnscrs OF
necklaces.