El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-08-05
One Pearl Worth $50, 900

AsHINGTON. 10. Il. a.,

! lars in values each year. and pay a rich
| revenue in dues to the governments
| controlling them Notwithstanding the
| facts that pearls are being secured in
| great quantities, each year the prices
| are increasing rather than diminishing
/ because of the great number of women
| who are DESTROYS of possessing them.
! One pink pearl was found last year.
| near Torres Strait, which brought $50
| 600. Each month during the pearl fish
| ing season, pearls are found worth
| from $4,000 to $4,000. The most IA
nous pearl formation discovered re-
Gently is called the Southern Cross
II consists of nine, pearls Joined to-
gether IN perfect cross. 1t was
found on a South Sea island BY beach
comDers who were superstitiOus and
anxious to get rid of it. They sold it
Ior 500 1t afterward brought $4,000.
A Great Necklace Robbery.
Within the past few weeks the Jewel
interest Of the world has conferred in
the great pearl necklace robbery oc-
curing between London and Paris
Paris Jeweler sent to a London firm
Dy registered mail, a necklace consist
ing OF OIL graduated pearls the total
! value Of which was $685., 900. When
the case arrived in London the pearls
We're missing. and pieces of sugar were
| found in their place. The Scotland
lard detectives have been unable to
secure a clew. In all probability the
necklace Will be divided and the pearls
placed upon the market separately.
Oldest of Pearl Fisheries.
The greatest and Oldest pearl fish
cries OF the world are on the island
of Ceylon, and are under the direction
Of the English government. These
pearl fisheries have been in operation
at least 25O0 years. In recent years
between three and four hundred YES
sells have been employed during the
n
airy to May. As many as 100000
| pearl oysters have been taken at Cey-
lon during a single season This in
/ Guided yield of 100000 oysters on
several days, and 5000, 600 upon one
day. This last constitutes the highest
| record The prices at which CeylOn
oysters are bought from the divers
range from $40 to 500 per thousand,
according to their size and quality.
The pearl divers Of CeylOn are con-
sldered the most skillful in the world,
and their achievements have been ex-
plotted for centuries. In reality their
dangers are less than those risked by
pearl divers in some other parts OF
the world. because the man eating
sharks which infest some oyster banks
are seldom, if ever seen at Ceylon. The
diver is let down from the boat by his
helper He usually remain in the
water from so to 80 seconds. although
occasionally one will be able to stand
1t from one to four minutes. When
under water he clutches up whatever
shells he can reach and places them
in q basket.
BepuIsIve Methods Used.
II IS difficult to extract pearls from
fresh Ceylon oysters so the process of
pearl gathering includes permitting the
oyster to decOmpOse before taking out
the pearls This method is repulsiTe
enough to disgust any fair wearer of
me Jewels II she could once watch
them being prepared for her. The
oysters are piled in a dug out canoe
and covered with mating for from
seven to ten days By this time little
remains OF the oyster but slime and
, smells and pearls. The canoe is flooded
to the brim and the washing process
begins. This requires the utmost Wig
lance from those in charge, for pearl
thieves are the most ingenious in the
world The washers are not permitted
even to remove their hands from the
water except to drop the shells which
are taken out first The water is then
drained off and the sediment dried
AfterWard il is carefully sifted and
sorted to secure the jewels.
Use Y Rays on Oysters.
The newest development in the pearl
industry is the application of the X ray
to the oyster TO discover whether or
/ not it contains a pearl This process
is not yet in general use. but may rev.
! oluttonize the pearl industry in the
future. The discovery was made by a
professor at the University of Lyons
who presented the Linnaean society Of
Lyons with a collection of photographs
of pearl oysters and mussels.
An American electrical engineer, see
/ ing these photographs, conceived the
possibility of hunting pearls by X ray
and opened a curious establishment at
Ipantiva- a pearl producing island The
pearl mollusks are grouped in cases
having a capacity of 100. They are
passed before a Photograph at the rate
of $4,000 per hour. If . large pearl
is found the oyster is opened at once.
If small pearl is shown the oyster is
put out to nurse for another year.
If no pearls are indicated, the oyster is
put into the reserve bank in the sea
Although the CeylOn pearls are the
best known in the world other centers
are yielding rich harVeStS of these
gems About 200 years ago pearls
were discovered in Torres Strait be-
tween North Australia and New Guinea
The Dutch government controls these
pearls but 1t has granted fishing con-
cessions to an Australian company.
Fortunes IN Cultured Pearls.
In addition to natural pearls, great
fortunes recently have been made, es-
pecially in Japan. by cultured pearls.
This industry began in 1896 as a re-
suit of some experiments in China The
process is now well established and
operated extensively. The largest Gull
tural banks are along the shore of the
Bay of Ago. They are operated by a
special grant of the japanese govern
ment- The sea area covers % nautical
miles, and millions of pearls have been
secured from it. The process consists
of placing small stones and rocks
where the oyster larvae are most
abundant during the months Of July
and August. Tiny oysters are soon
found attached to them. The stones
are taken up and placed in deep
water for three years. Then the Oys-
ters are removed from the sea and
opened A tiny piece of nacre. or a
pearl shell, is placed in the mouth of
each The shells are then returned to
the water for at least four years. The
result is the Development Of some ex-
ceedingly fine pearls. Most Of the
marine work in this Japanese pearl
culture is done by women who look
most picturesque in their diving suits
Of pure white.
Empress EuGenie's Pearl.
Millions of dollars worth of pearls
have been secured from fresh water
mussels in America although these are
generally overlooked in the considera-
ton of the pearl resources of the
world. The first fine pearl secured in
the United States is believed to have
been the Queen Pearl which was TAX
en- from Notch Brook near Paterson,
New Jersey. about 1860. 1t weighed
80 grains and was sold to the empress