Fort Pierce news., 1910-07-15
PEARLS
Difficult Task That Calls For
Skill and Judgment.
ORDED ON SURGEONS SILK.

Intricate System Of knettins Guards
the Cams Should tho String Break.
Every now and then a story is print
o abOQt the loss Of valuable string
pearls through the breaking Of the
ord on which they were hung and
heir slipping of and scattering over
be eoor or sidewalk. Those who
DOW anything about the strluging Oi
earls. however always read these
ales with incredulity. because Rowa.
ays, as a general thing only false
rearls or those Of small price are
tr1ng without a knot being lied be-
ween each Of them. so that II the
ord breaks no more than one can fall
"a.
Il Is common belief that because OF
heir great Vslue pearls are strung on
omething durable, like catgut or wire
ls a matter Of fact such material Il
lever employed. There is no beauty
o string OF pearls that looks wiry
" stiff. II must be flexible to the
highest degree. otherwise all It's grace
nj effect will be lost Up to the time
u the introduction Of surgeons silk
.or pearl stringiug nothing had been
!ound that would absolutely meet the
requirements OF strength and hexi.
oility.
That the most valuable pearls are to.
Jay strung on cords Of surgeons silk
s due to the suggestion Of a woman
employee Of a New York jewelry
house.
surgeons silk-the thread that is
ased for sewing up cuts and Wounds
e q soft round strand OF pure white
DIX which is woven. not twisted. The
weave. when Viewed under a magni.
Tying glass. closely resembles that OF
bne silk braid and Is capable OF only
small degree Of expansion. This
thread Is produced In several diam.
sSers or grades. which makes It all the
more desirable for pearl stringing
These are numbered instead Of being
lettered like ordinary sewing silk and
are wound on small cards like darning
cotton
When the young woman's idea was
Arst adopted IL seemed as though IL
would prove impracticable owing 10
the quantity Of surgeons silk manu-.
&actured being insufficient to meet the
new demands from the jewellers. Il
was also very expensive. But the idea
was such good one and the surgeons
silk was 80 much superior to anything
ever tried before that In time II was
FOUND possible to secure it 10 sufficient
quantities and at wholesale prices.
The principal safeguard against loss.
however, Is In the method Of string. |
ing. An intricate system Of knottIng /
the Thread between each pearl Is EN- 4
pioyed This prevents the escape Of /
more than one jewel should the thread .
break. This knotttng is done with /
tweezers and is a task that requires 4
great skill. There must be 10 unsieht /
~ gaps between the knots ara the
pearls. and the whole when 6nished
.nCs' be immacqIste In It's Rftditen,.ss
The my knots instead OF de,rscung
from toe beauty OF the necklace en-.
hanee 1t, for they LOOK Ike seed pearls
alternating With tpe larger ones. Knot.
ring iengthens the necklace also and
ta often resored 10 for that purpose
When a strand Of a certain length il
desired and the number OF large pearls
s. not sufficient imitation pearls of the
exact size and color are often subsu.
rutad Some OF those limitations viii
deceive the eye Of any bat the most
expert. /,
IL ofien happens that the Isrges;
pearls have the smallest holes drilled
through rhem. for every grain thar "a
taken IRON the pesri reduces II In
weight In sUch cases. however. the
risk " the eOrd breaking Is Increased
ewing to the eiendeFDess 81 the thread
aRd the sharp edges OF the pearis crt.
Hre through Il quickly.
etrsaaine pearls Is never dope with
q needle A nsedle Is not yielding
enough to pass ihrOEKt very small
ieosss, sSd the doupiins Of its diameter
~ the eye makes its use tmprScticsbie
Wherefore the snd OF rae thread is
sbafpened 10 VegJ Gre point. v5leh
" SaIed Stid1y enough to be usec ex.
acty as a needle would be.
Ordinarily pearl stringing lie me
ehanically diHjcult ana aIso requires
taste and Judgment Ths pearls mag
have 10 be reaHaBged In ORDER to i'm.
prU7e thsir general appeArspce In
The laying Out Of eolIarets especially
4 great deai Of skill Is required. 10
the frst place. the colIaret must IL
sEsetly. This seems eOmparauyeiy
sasy, bat IL Is not psfterr Is a..
xsys 6tfed beforehand. bet It IL rsre-
81 the case that fbe r..nnff a. ,s,saf..