Pueblo chieftain., 1921-11-29
BY Frederic j. Haskin.

BY Frederic j. Haskin.
Washington, d. G.. Nov. 25.-The
true pearl. formed by the wild oyster
is having a hard time competing with
loss aristocratc pearls.
First, the japanese produced cul-
| tured pearl that differs from true
| pearl only in one respect. In the wild
mussel. the pearl Is the result of an
| irritation, generally bit of sand or \
parasitic worm, which accidentally
gets inside the shell. In the cultured
pearl. the Irritating substance is i'm
planted.
| After years of experiments a Japan
Csc succeeded in so introducing this
irritant that the patient oyster would
build as perfect pearl around IL as
, II the irritant had accidentally slipped
/ in.
This has raised tho question: is a
cultured pearl of this sort entitled to
| the same distinction as the wild pearlt
Arc pearls grown on farm like so
many berries and harvested when ripe
to be compared with the pearl for
which the diver risks his life in shark
I infested watcrs2 Gem dealers. gath
cred recently in London, shouted no,
Because the ingenuity Of Japanese
scientist led him to produce pearls by
putting oysters TO work on a fern. he
was none -the-less manufacturer.
| they claimed. It was agreed that tho
| tr;ie pearl Is tho work Of nature un-
assisted and that pearling should re-
main business of hazard and not a
| truck-farm process.
The meeting decided that while cul-
tured pearls might look just like true
pearls-which not all the experts would
admit-still. they were not TO be off,
/ cislly regarded as true pearls. French
dealers went home and ISSUED n warn
ing in n French paper that merchants
selling cultured pearls under the titlo
~ - ~ In n
prosecution for fraud. That was sup
posed to make tho world safe for the
wild pearl.
GLASS PEARLS
But now word comes from Germany
| that a jewel expert OF Thuringia has
tttsined new standard in manufac-
iurc of synthetic pearls. from blown
glass. II Is claimed that experts arc
put to It to distinguish these imita-
tions from true pearls.
| There is no fine distinction to bc
settled rosarding tho status Of this
German pearl. Ii IS an imitation and
| claims TO be nothing else But. IL Il
is so good that all but experts arc de-
ceivod and II II can be sold for one
4 fifth tho price OF other imitation pearls.
as tho maker announces. MAY there
not he n demand FOR this cheap art
icle TO tho detrimcnt of trade IN other
pearls. both real and imitation? Deal
ers fear that there may. So tho pearl
business is still disturbed.
Tho German pearl maker. Herr
/ Heinz. is known as an expert In lmita-
| tion gems. He used to claim that he
could produce beautiful imitation OF
ans gem except the pearl That, he ad-
/ mitted. was tho most difficult Il, imI-
| tate. bat still he experimental with
| formulas. until at last he has hit
upon satisfactory one. His formula
Is reported as mixture of fish lime
i ~ Il III IL L..
| Blown glass pearls arc far from new
! y preparation made from the scales Of
| the bleak fish has long been used to
\ coat tho inside surface Of glass to
mako pearl beads. This fish skin sub
stance contains BRILLIANT colors and
gives 10 tho glass tho creamy, opalcs.
! cent tint of the pearl
I Wax is generally used To fill tho hoj-
! low inside the glass bead to make IL
resemble the solid structure OF "A pearl
But tho surfnce has a CLASSY shine
and the bead Is slightly lighter in
weight than a real pearl. Glass beads
| have. therefore. always been readily
distinguishablc from real pearls to
any practiced eve.
Apparently. Herr Heinz has i'm,
proved on this product. n r. an
nounced that tho blowing or his new
glasr pearl Is a difficult art Heinz
SAYS that he can copv the pearls in
any collar or ornament SO cIosei,- that
the owner can wear tho imitation and
stu attract admira tion FOR her brauti-
ful pearls while the real gene lie safe
I'm vault. Tho result Of this chal-
lcngc TO tho pearl business and tho dog
collar dowagcrs has not yet been an
nounced.
whether the much discussed Jana
nose pearl viii stay where tho dealers
want II. plainly classified as n culture
pearl, also remains 10 he sccn MIR,
I<okichi Mikimoto. The owner of tho
I pearl farm. says he has always sold
his goods as cultured pearls In one
of his catalogues. he described the
process by which he induces the oSs-
tors on his farm to mako pearls
But he says that hc cannot be re-