Semi-weekly herald., 1913-09-18
MAY FORCE OYSTER TO
PRODUCE GENUINE PEARLS

a
don of pearl necklace insured at
Lloyd's for $675,OOO and declared by
its owner to be worth $750,000 has
naturally attracted considerable at
tention to the history and romance Of
this beautiful gem. One of the earl
lest explanations of the origin of the
pearl in the Arab and Hindu legend
is that pearls are dewdrops fallen In
the sea and received by the oyster.
1t has now been established that
the pearl originates in dead para
site around which the oyster deposits
a secretion in series of spherical
envelopes.
This parasite has been identified
and has strange history. If it lives
and dies in the oyster and is coated
with pearl matter it becomes jewel.
But if the oyster is scooped from its
shell by fish the parasite remains
in the stomach of this fish and de-
velops into another stage. But il this
fish becomes in its turn the prey Of
another species of fish then the par
asite undergoes another change, be-
coming definite little sea creature
living its own life and no longer q
parasite.
In pearl fisheries only one oyster
in 30 or 40 contains pearls. But it
is on record that an oyster taken in
the Indian ocean held 81 good pearls
and from the famous Ceylon fishery
came a shell with 81.
The finest pearls are the pure
white. But nowadays the fashion is
for pearls tinged with rose. Black
pears come from Mexico and from
Tahiti. Garnet red pearls are high
ly priced among Hindus and Jews.
From the Bahamas come rose red
pearls, pale with delicate wavy lines.
Pale blue pearls are often found in
edible mussels and violet in the dark
shell. There is a big shell in the
West Indies that contains very beau
tiful rose red pearls, but as they
have no layer Of pearl matter they
cannot be considered true pearls. At
first they are magnificent, but grad
ually they lose their color and fade
With fine skin and good luster, OF
Orient black pearls and the deep
shades of red, yellow, ETC., are AZ
costly and as highly priced as ths
purest white. The loveliest single
large pearl is said TO be in q mu.
scum in Moscow. 1t is known as La
Pellegrina and is an Indian pear
perfectly spherical in shape, pure
white in color and almost transpar.
ent. 1t weighs % carats, Of liz
grains.
One of the most wonderful pssrli
recorded, found in South America IL
1920, weighed 480 grains. For it I
merchant sold all his estate snt
brought it home, because there wal
a king Of Spain to buy it."
Twenty years ago the value Of tn.
finest pearls WAS calculated at fiv,
times their weight. Today q reall,
beautiful pearl may go rs high al
200 times its weight.
Many attempts have been made I,
encourage oysters to produce pearls
The Chinese have done 80 with I
certain success by dropping into mus
sell shells fragments Of nacre, some
times round, sometimes in the shap,
of little figures Of Buddha. In tim,
these are coated with pearly matte
and are in sufficient demand.
Not many years ago, however,
company began scientific experiment.
in the Indian ocean. They place lit
tie balls of nacrs. weighing from a
to so grains, in particular specie
Of very big oysters known as tn
Australian type. After about To-
months these pellets are covered wit
beautiful layer Of pearl mattsr an
are exactly like true pearls In ap
pearance. When these pearls com
one the market they may have
great success. The company refuse
J, an offer Of $4,000 for the first Is
shells. 1t is equipped y deal Wit
900 shells and In four ysars b
spent over 100000 in 2psrimsnta.