The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-19
MOTHER OF PEARL.
What 1t IL Made of and n Few of It's
Numerous Uses.

New York Commercial.
Perhaps II is called mother OF PEARL he
cause in its tiehtly-locked bosom lies the Jewel
snowdrop that graces the delicate throat OF a
queen. 1t is plain shell. The outside Is
rough gray-the color of November
twilight: the interior a marvellous prism that
has stored the hues of the rainbow.
The manufacture OF mother of pearl is an in
dustry of no little magnitude in New York and
hereabouts. This city and Newark are its CEN
ters Thousands OF persons make a livelihood
converting the shells into numerous useful and
Pretty articles of commerce. II we were asked
what is mother of pearl used for the reply
would probably be buttons. Thousands and
thousands of buttons of all sizes are manufac-
tured in New York annually. and the process is
exceedingly interesting But buttons are not
ALL Knife handles, umbrella handles revolver
handles penholders jewelry and a score of ad-
dltlonal pretty and useful articles are made
from mother OF pearl.
The finest shells come from the Australian
archipelago They white and extremely
pretty dark shell is found of the
coast or Japan; they are from the worlds great
The rivers Of he GEed stsses hand AND
their pearl-produclng shells The pearl divers
bring, the shells 10 the surface, where a frst
search for pearls is made. The shells are then
shipped TO London, the worlds great clearing
house for mother OF pearl where they are again
submitted to careful scrutiny for Jewels The
American manufacturer gets his supply largely
from London In the factory. as the Shells are
cut, another search FOR pearls is made and not
infrequently it is rewarded Not all the nearis
are found loosely slowed in the closed apart-
ment where the soft moIlusk reposes Some
times they are secreted in the hard casing of a
shell and are only brought to view by the cut
ting saw. In a CanaI-street factory the other
s gay workman sliced a $500 pearl into two
before he realized what the was doing
The manufacture of mother of pearl has
steadily increased IN the twenty-five years since
inventor has found substitute for the product
OF nature and the shells are not so numerous as
mar fac
erase OF IS cents pound. The finished product.
therefore: Is expensive and is likely to be more
50, as The demand is continually growing for
The shells are about eight inches wide and
weigh less than half pound They are shines
from London In soe-pound boxes. wOrkmen Of
Born though Sf sos.
trained In the craft The men are English
sSsnsh and Rohen,ans Who Learned their
skillful operator who saws of the rough edges
or the bark" 1t is then cut into strips. If il
for the heavier articles. The thin. fiat shells
go to the button machine. where the discs are
ments are engraved on another nachn Sun on seq
other holes are bored or the brass eye for tire
ente7 surface ef each n. 'nen boy polishes the
touch on carborundum wheel. making 400
and cutting and polish machines is fine white
dust that settles ever the interior like flour in
and make no complaint OF evil effects Of breath
ing H. While there is considerable waste ma
tersal N eaCn smell no PORTION or the white
mother OF reari is permitted to 20 TO waste
Very small buttons. rosary beads. etc. are
ana ssT &c s ss sn Tss
lected for ornamenfation OF the articles hereto
fore mentioned. A very pretty watch fob for
men is made OF piece Of deicately tinted
mother OF pearl artfsticaily arranged in fli-
gree gold setting.
From the Mississippi river along the borders
OF Iowa the greatest quantity n wa
shells IL obtained, and IL has become profitable
business. Useless portions are sawed OF there
and the entire produSs Is shipped 10 Eastern
n.anufr eturers-