Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-30
GENUINENESS OF PEARLS
HOW THE INVITATIONS MAY Be
DETECTED.
Gems That Were Manufactured bv
Ancient Egyptians-Methods of
Early European Jewellers.
From the Jewellers. C,rcular-wees,v.

From the jewelers. Circular Weekly.
The imitation OF gems has always existed
but In recent years this work has beer,
brought TO state OF perfection rarely
dreamed OF by the workers of ancient
times and the manufacture of imitation
gems OF specially prepared glass paste,
etc, has become quite an important indus.
try.
The means OF ascertaining the genuine.
ness OF pearls. which are frequently imi.
tated with marvellous skill. is especially
important to the layman, even though tho
5eweler may quickly detect them. Imita.
lions are usually lighter than real pearls,
and generally are brittle although some
are made solid of Ash scales and do not
break so easily. while the holes, which in
the real pearl are drilled very small and
nave sharp edge, are in the false ,arger
tation pearls are like hollow spheres Of
glass colored internally with a coating imi.
tating the orient Of natural pearls.
The Sphere and It's Coating.
The manufacture of these articles EN-.
braces two series of operations. the pro.
duction of the sphere and the Introduction
OF coating. The spheres are produced by
the glassblower. who, by aid OF an en-
ANGLERS lamp soldiers the extremity OF Q
tube when the substance ia Of the right
consistency. In this way are obtained very
regular little spheres that serve for the
composition OF the ordinary quality OF
false pearls. In the more beautiful imi.
tations the tube employed is slightly opal.
escent, and the glassblower, besides, gives
to the little spheres while they are vet
malleable certain slight perceptible inequali.
ties or surface by gently tapping them with
small iron bar This gives them a still
greater resemblance to natural pearls,
which are very seldom absolutely regular.
Imitation pearls were manufactured in
Egypt at least fifteen centuries before our
era, say some authorities. and the manufac-
ture seems to have remained stationary
there for long time. The manufacture
of false pearl at Rome goes back to the
period when the taste for fine pearls be-
came general, and Pliny indicates this in
the most precise manner. The silence Of
oe6er ancient authors on imitation pearls
allows us simply to conjecture what must
have been their use among the inferior
classes. which in all ages have considered
themselves obliged to initiate cheaply the
Injuries of the higher circles, so we must
abandon to Venice, where we shall find V
not the origin, at least mention of this
industry, the first productions of which
are lost in the night of time
Bogus Pearls in Classic Days.
The first authentic mention of imitation
pearls dates from the year 1918. when the
manufacturers, called by the name OF
pdteTnosteE THdkeTS ana pearl MAKERS WSr0
established either at Venice or at Murano>
At first the glass balls were filled with
various materials. generally with base
of mercury, but in the year 1880
rosary maker named Tacquin conceived the
idea Of using in the place Of this mercurial
mixture harmless substance that proc
duced an infinitely more perfect color.
This substance the essence OF orient, 10
formed from the scales of the Athletic, d
xuhff o fch vy1f lob hon do In fha Gof nA
the Marine and the Lorret. The fishes are
rubbed rather roughly In pure water in Q
large BASIN, and the water is then strained
through a~linen cloth and the residue ID
left for several days to SETTLE. The sed1-
ment thus obtained forms the essence OF
orient. 1t requires from 1900 to $1,000
fishes for 500 grammes Ia little more than
pound) Of this substance. The scaly SUBJ
stance Is likely to decompose quickly. and
numerous chemical agents are employed by
different manufacturers Ito preserve Il.
These means are kept a secret. but II 10
known that liquid ammonia or the. volatile
alkaH is one OF the substances most com.
monty used. 49, "ra.'.
Brilliancy Of Fish Scales
The discovery Of method Of preserving
the brilliancy Of fish scales has led TO their
export from Restov-on-Don, Rugs!a, for
the last five or six years. The fish used
are 30 small that nets Of 100000 to S,OOO.s
600 strands in the mesh are used Seventy
two pound of fish yield fourteen ounces d
scales. which are powdered with some proc
servative. packed in ten-pound tins, herr
meticaliy sealed and sent by parcel post
to Berlin. Stettin and Paris. More than
eight tons have already been exported. The
scales are thought to be used for the make
ing of artificial pearls and similar articles,
The trade IL growing. and st. Petersburg,
Warsaw. Vitelsk and Astrakhan have beA
gun to export
The process Of coloring the pearl is come
menced by lining the interior OF the ball
with delicate layer Of perfectly limpid
and colorless parchment glue, and befora
it is quite dry the essence Of orient is ins
troduced by means of a slender bowpipe.
1t is allowed to dry. the pearl is filled with
wax and, II intended for a necklace, Is
pierced.
Artificial pearls are also made from beads
of opalescent glass filled with gum, the
polish Of the glass being reduced by the
vapor of hydrofuor1c acid. Very good lmi-
tations of the genuine pearl are made from
mother of pearl also. This material is cut
to required shape and polished beautifully,
when 1t has an appearance very similar to
that of the genuine article. though an ex-
pert can readily distinguish the imitation
from the genuine gem.