Chapter XX: Section 6: of the Tariff Act, providing for a duty of 20 per cent. on (1)

“unenumerated partly manufactured articles.” The petitioner claimed that half-pearls were dutiable at 10 per cent. ad valorem, “either directly or by similitude or component of chief value, under paragraph 436, or as precious stones, under paragraph 435 of the Tariff Act.” After hearing the testimony of a number of competent and reliable experts connected with some of the leading houses dealing in precious stones and pearls, the appraisers decided that the evidence showed that pearls, being the product of animal secretion, could not properly be denominated stones, and that they were not in fact so designated commercially. At the same time, half-pearls could not be looked upon as “pearls in their natural state,” since time and labor had been expended in their production; it was, therefore, evident that paragraph 436 did not apply to them. For this reason the original ruling was reaffirmed.

In 1902 a duty of 60 per cent. was levied on an assorted lot of half-pearls under a new ruling which brought them by similitude under the provisions of paragraph 434 of the Tariff Act, providing a duty of 60 per cent. on “jewelry ... including ... pearls set or strung.” A protest was entered against this ruling also.[413] In the meanwhile Judge Lacombe had given the opinion to which we have alluded above, and the Board of Appraisers upheld the duty of 60 per cent., basing their decision upon the fact that the material of half-pearls was similar to that of pearls in their natural state or of pearls set or strung, thus satisfying the requirements as to similitude of Section 7 of the Tariff Act. The same section provides that, in case two or more rates of duty shall be applicable to any imported article, it shall pay duty at the highest rate, and therefore the 60–per cent. rate applying to pearls set or strung was imposed, instead of the 10–per cent. rate on pearls in their natural state. In both of these cases an application for a review was made to the United States Circuit Court.[414]

DUTIES ON PEARLS IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES, MARCH, 1908

Amount in
money of the U. S.
Basis. country. currency.

Great Britain Free

British India Free

Australia Free

New Zealand Free

Canada, precious stones (pearls),
polished but not set, pierced, or
otherwise manufactured ad val. 10%

Austro-Hungary, unset 100
kilogr. 60 kr. $24.00

Belgium, unenumerated.

Bulgaria, precious stones (pearls) in
the natural state, polished, cut, or 75 lev
engraved, but not mounted kilogr. (francs) 14.25

Denmark, unenumerated.

France Free

Germany, wrought (smoothed, polished, 100
perforated), unset kilogr. 60 marks 14.40

Unset, but strung on textile threads
or tape for the purpose of packing 100
and transportation kilogr. 100 marks 24.00

Greece Free

Holland, unenumerated.

Italy, precious stones (pearls)
wrought hectogr. 14 lire 2.66

Montenegro, precious stones (pearls) {min. 10%
ad val. {max. 15%

Norway, precious stones (pearls) {min. 2^{50}
kilogr. krone .66

{max. 3
„ .80

Portugal, unenumerated.

Portuguese S. E. Africa (Quilimane,
Chinde and Zambesia) Export Duty ad val. 6%

Portuguese India, real pearls or
seed-pearls ad val. ½%

Rumania kilogr. 20 lei 3.80

Russia, loose or threaded funt 10 rubles 5.00

Finland Free

Servia, threaded for facilitating
their preservation or sale kilogr. 50 dinars 9.50

Threaded for special uses kilogr. 70 dinars 15.30

Spain, loose or mounted hectogr. 25 pesetas 4.75

Sweden, not set Free

Switzerland, not mounted 100
kilogr. 50 francs 9.75

Turkey, unset 3 piasters
gramme (gold)

Egypt (on all imports) ad val. 8%

China (on all unenumerated imports) ad val. 5%

Japan ad val. 60%

Persia, Export Duty ad val. 5%

Import Duty, precious stones, rough
or cut, including fine pearls ad val. 25%

Morocco (on all imports) ad val. 2½%

Guatemala, unenumerated.

Salvador, precious stones (pearls) 10 pesos,
unmounted kilogr. nom. val. 9.60

Nicaragua, precious stones (pearls) 100 pesos,
kilogr. „ „ 96.00

Honduras 5 pesos,
½ kilogr. „ „ 4.80

Costa Rica, unset 100 colones,
kilogr. „ „ 96.00

Panama ad val. 15%

Mexico, unset 100 pesos,
kilogr. „ „ 96.00

United States, not strung, not set ad val. 10%

Strung, set, or not, and split
pearls sorted as to either size,
quality, or shape ad val. 60%

Philippine, unset ad val. 15%

Argentine Republic, precious stones
(pearls) ad val. 5%

Bolivia appraisal 3%

Brazil (natural) ad val. 2%

Chili ad val. 5%

Colombia, precious stones (pearls) set
in jewelry ad val. 10%

Ecuador, precious stones (pearls), set 50 sucres,
or not set kilogr. nom. val. 48.00

Paraguay, unset ad val. 2%

Peru, unset appraisal 3%

Uruguay 13% on eval
gramme of 1 peso .12

Venezuela kilogr. 10 bolivars 1.90

Cuba, not set hectogr. $7.50

surtax of 25%

Dominican Republic 6 pesos,
ounce nom. val. 5.76

The only changes from the customs lists as they existed in the tariffs of 1896 are as follows:

1896 1908
Portugal 3% ad val. unenumerated
Mexico 50 pesos per carat 100 pesos per kilogram
Nicaragua 5 pesos per libra 100 pesos per kilogram
Haiti 20% ad val. unenumerated
San Domingo 3.60 pesos per ounce 6 pesos per ounce
Argentina 36 pesos per gram precious stones 5% ad val.
Austro-Hungary 24 florins per 100 kilogr. 60 kroner per 100 kilogr.

In the Parliament of 1727–1732, the duty on pearls and precious stones was abolished in England. We give facsimiles of the title-page and last leaf of the report of this enactment.

Anno Regni
_GEORGII_ II.
REGIS
_Magnæ_, _Britanniæ_, _Franciæ_, & _Hiberniæ_,
SEXTO.

At the Parliament Begun and Holden at _Westminster_, the Twenty third
Day of _January, Anno Dom. 1727_. In the First Year of the Reign of
our Sovereign Lord __GEORGE__ the Second, by the Grace of God, of
_Great Britain_, _France_, and _Ireland_, King, Defender of the
Faith, &_c._

And from thence continued by several Prorogations to the Sixteenth Day
of _January_, 1732, being the Sixth Session of this present
Parliament.

_LONDON_,
Printed by _John Baskett_, Printer to the King’s most
Excellent Majesty. 1732.

108 Anno Regni Sexto Georgii II. Regis.

[Sidenote: After _10 April, 1733_, Diamonds and all other precious
Stones may be imported or exported free from Duty.]

Diamonds, precious Stones, Jewels, and Pearls of all Sorts, shall pass outwards, without Warrant or Fee, may it therefore please your most Excellent Majesty that it may be enacted, and be enacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the Same, That from and after the Tenth Day of April, which shall be in the Year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and Thirty three, all Diamonds, Pearls, Rubies, Emeralds, and all other precious Stones and Jewels, shall pass inwards without Warrant or Fee, in the Manner as they now pass outwards, and free from the Payment of any Duty granted to his Majesty, his Heirs, or Successors; and it shall and may be lawful for any Person or Persons to import or export the same, in the Ship or Vessel whatsoever; and Law, Custom, or Usage to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding, subject nevertheless to the Proviso herein after contained.

[Sidenote: Proviso as to the _East India_ Company.]

Provided always, That nothing herein contained shall extend to annul or make void the Duty granted to his Majesty for the Use of the united Company of Merchants of =England= trading to the =East Indies=, by an act passed in the Ninth and Tenth Years of the Reign of his late Majesty King =William= the Third, for such Pearls, Diamonds, and other precious Stones or Jewels, as shall be imported into this kingdom from any Place within the Limits of the Charter granted to the said Company, or to take away or alter any Privileges, Profits, or Advantages, granted to or now held or enjoyed by the said Company.

FINIS.

]

The total value of diamonds and precious stones imported into the United States during the period from 1867 to 1906 inclusive, was as follows:

Glaziers’ (except 1873–83) $2,215,972

Dust 6,407,599

Rough or uncut (included with diamonds and other stones,
1891–96) 74,045,291

Set (not specified before 1897) 36,170

Unset (not specified before 1897) 124,615,662

Diamonds and other stones, not set 207,138,629

Set in gold or other metal 17,799

Pearls (from 1903) 7,809,261

————————————

Total $422,286,383

CLASSIFIED STATEMENT OF THE IMPORTS OF PEARLS INTO THE UNITED STATES
FROM 1891 TO 1907 INCLUSIVE

Pearls Pearls, Pearls in Pearls split
including pearls natural state, etc.
strung but not not strung or
set set

Year 10% 10% 10% 20%

1891 $11,711

1892 32,023

1893 6,926

1894 12,978

1895 $283,018

1896 583,214

1897 392,867

1898 $491,060 $205,998

1899 1,412,952 389,899

1900 1,163,382 432,528

1901 929,247 1,173,339

1902 1,896,322 1,314,368

1903 2,835,936 7,220

1904 1,680,615 2,908

1905 1,626,476

1906 2,072,561 218

1907 1,593,498

——————— —————————— ——————————— ——————————

$63,638 $1,259,099 $15,702,049 $3,526,478

NOTE. Previous to 1891 pearls were classified with “jewelry and
precious stones,” and it was not until 1895 that most of them were
reported separately.

There are several things that are essential in pearl buying, and one of the most important of these is that the light in which the pearls are selected shall be absolutely pure daylight, with no reflections from the side or from above that can enhance or detract from the color of the pearl. This must be carefully considered, as it is not uncommon—more especially in certain parts of Europe—that jewelers have for their selling-offices rooms sumptuously fitted up with hangings of different colors, and sometimes with ground glass windows, provided with heavy silk hangings, so that artificial light becomes a necessity to make the article sold plainly visible. In absolutely pure daylight, more especially with an unclouded sky—on such days as are probably more frequent in the United States than in some of the European countries—it is possible to see the exact tint or color of the pearls; that is, whether it is really a pure white with a tinge of pink or an orient tending to cream-white, or whether it is more or less tinted with what is considered a crude or red color in a pearl. Besides this, in a pure light it is possible to see whether the pearl is brilliant, and to estimate the exact degree of its brilliancy; whether there are any cracks, scratches, or mars on the surface; and, lastly, whether the form is entirely regular. If one should select two necklaces, one absolutely perfect and the other having slight blemishes as to color or brilliancy, or with breaks, marks, or irregularities, these two necklaces would be scarcely distinguishable from each other in artificial light, or in daylight which had been partly confused with artificial light; although the differences between the two would signify that the former was worth two or three times as much as the latter.

At great receptions, large, and apparently magnificent pearls are frequently seen, which are really of inferior quality, and yet, owing to the absence of pure daylight, they can easily be mistaken for perfect specimens by any one not especially familiar with pearls. Indeed, if the royalties of Europe should wear all the pearls belonging to the crown jewels at the same time, in a palace or hall lighted with candles, gas, or even with some types of electric light, they would frequently seem to have a quality which many of them do not and never did possess. It is, therefore, essential for the buyer to use every precaution in reference to the light in which he examines his purchase. And we may add that it is just as essential that he should know the dealer from whom he buys; for, sometimes, after a few weeks or months, cracks or blemishes develop that were not apparent at first, more especially when the pearls have been “improved” for a prospective purchaser.

A test to ascertain the quality of pearls is quaintly expressed in a work published in 1778, as follows:

How to know good pearls. To discover the hidden Defects and Faults
of a Pearl and to know whether she is speckled or broken or has any
other imperfections, the best way is to make trial of it by the
Reverberation of the Sun-beams; for by this means your eye will
penetrate into the very Centre of the Pearl and discover the least
defect it has; you will then see whether it be pure, or has any
spots or not, and consequently you may the better guess its
value.[415]

If you can cause a ray of sunlight or of electric light to fall on a pearl, the light will penetrate it and show any specks, inclosed blemishes or impurities. This can probably best be done by wrapping about the pearl a dark cloth of velvet or other material and having the ray fall slantingly, whereby the defects are much more clearly shown than if the ray be allowed to fall directly upon the gem.

A pearl necklace valued at $200,000, shown at one of our recent great expositions, was to all appearances a remarkably beautiful collection, and it was only when the intending purchaser took them from their velvet bed and held them in his hands that he realized that there was not a perfect pearl in the entire collection. It must have taken more than a week of study for the clever dealer to arrange them so that the best part, sometimes the only good part of each pearl, should be where the eye would fall upon it. After they had been turned in the hands a few seconds, not one perfect specimen was visible.

The demand for pearls has been so great, and the enhancement of value so rapid, that the greatest ingenuity has been employed in presenting the best part of the gems to view, as well as in many other ways. The result is that when pearls are to be used as borders or as a gallery on a comb or brooch, they are pierced in such a way that only the best side shall be outward, so that the general effect produced is that of a perfect row of pearls; but a careful examination may show that two thirds or three fourths of them are irregular, and bear abrasion marks, indentations, or other imperfections.

Following the analogy of the well-known precious stones—the diamond, the ruby, the sapphire, the emerald and those of less importance—the pearl is equally potent in creating great and permanent values for itself in catering to the human love of adornment; and though these large values may be greatly in excess of the original price that it commanded in the native oriental market, yet the increased valuation gives profitable livelihood to hundreds of thousands of persons. These embrace the dealers who sell the original pearls in lots, those who clean and treat them, others who drill and string them, and others again who handle them in setting jewelry of all kinds, and also the large number of dealers throughout the entire world who sell either the jewelry or the unmounted pearls. Directly connected with the industry in localities where the fisheries are pursued are a sufficient number of persons to populate a city the size of Boston, and to these we may safely add an equal number as herein noted, aggregating about 1,000,000 people whose livelihood is directly dependent upon the production and traffic of the pearl industry, and who for lack of it would be forced to seek some other employment. Brought thus to a concrete form, one may readily grasp the important bearing which the pearl has in a comprehensive estimate of the complexity of the world’s civilization as we know it to-day.

XIV

TREATMENT AND CARE OF PEARLS

XIV
TREATMENT AND CARE OF PEARLS

The pearl is at the height of its perfection when taken from the shell; from that moment it never improves. When it is drawn from the depths of the ocean by the hand of man and given to the charmed gaze of the world, it is as complete and perfect in its way as the most beautiful work of art, and, whether as tiny as the point of a pin or as large as a marble, it is always a perfect, fully formed individual; it is always in its maturity.

Who found the first pearl? When did he discover it, and what were his emotions? Was it found by primitive man? Very likely it was discovered by chance in a mother-of-pearl shell cast up by the sea, or perhaps in a mussel in a brook. If this happened in an oriental country, the native must have already seen many equally remarkable objects, endowed with life, while the pearl could charm him only by its luster and purity. But, besides the impression produced by its beauty, it must have aroused in the soul of the discoverer the sensation of wonder which every new and lovely object excites when seen for the first time. That primitive man appreciated the pearl is evidenced by the fact that it is found in the mounds and graves of the American continent, from the State of Ohio to Peru in South America.

Almost all pearls are in perfect condition for setting when they are found; all that needs to be done is to rub them with a damp or moist cloth or with a powder of finely pulverized small or broken pearls, and they are then ready for the succeeding processes. If there are any blemishes, these can be removed by peeling or “faking,” although few fine pearls require any such treatment; and then the gems may be drilled, strung, and set, and all that is necessary for their preservation is due care and attention.

Pearls are frequently injured in opening the shells or in removal of the outer layers around the true pearly nacre. Both the Chinese and the Sulu fishermen are very clever in the art of pearl peeling and pearl improving. This method is called “faking,” although it is a perfectly legitimate operation. All it requires is a very sharp knife, a set of files, and a powder obtained by grinding pearls or pearl shells. This powder is placed upon a buffer of leather or cloth to polish such parts of a layer as may not have been entirely removed. The Chinese are unusual adepts in pearl peeling and have been frequently known to sell as true pearls scales that they have removed, after filling these scales or peelings with wax or shellac, and strengthening them by cementing them on a piece of mother-of-pearl. They are then set with the convex side up and the edges carefully covered so as to conceal the deception. The Chinese are also very expert in removing layers of mother-of-pearl from an encysted or buried pearl, taking off layer after layer with the greatest care, and with a delicacy of touch that enables them to realize the moment when the pearl itself has been reached, rarely injuring the latter, although the coating is almost as hard as the inclosed pearl.

Peeling is employed to remove a protuberance or acid stain, to smooth a surface broken by abrasion, or to take off a dead spot produced by careless wearing of the pearls and allowing them to rub against one another. There are many instances where, by careful peeling, a perfect layer and skin have been brought to light, and where irregular or broken pearls, or those with a blemish, have been rendered much more valuable by a good peeler. But in many other cases the pearl has not only been reduced in value, but even rendered altogether worthless, when it had a dead center or was pitted with clay or other impurities.

If a pearl has been injured by coming in contact with the acids frequently used in medicine, the surface may become roughened; or it may be scratched by being rubbed against a stone in case of a fall or other accident. If the surface only is injured, it can be restored to its original beauty with only a slight loss of weight by carefully peeling off the outer layers.

In skinning or peeling a pearl, a magnifying glass, or preferably a fixed lens, such as is used by engravers, is of great assistance, and a sharp knife, or, better still, the sharpened edge of a steel file, is a very essential instrument. Gloves are often worn by the peeler so that no perspiration shall reach the pearl and cause it to slip in the hand while it is being manipulated, and thus have a layer or more injured by the knife.

Drilling a pearl by means of the bow-drill
]

Thin layers of pearl removed by peeling (faking)
]

Examples of properly and poorly drilled pearls
]

Side view of same pearls
]

PEARL DRILLING

Streeter mentions a very interesting incident in regard to a genuine black pearl. This pearl, set with diamonds, was shown in a jeweler’s window; but after exposure in this way for some time to the sun’s rays, the brilliant black luster disappeared and gave place to a dull, grayish hue. When the pearl was removed from its setting, it was seen that the part which had not been exposed to the light was of as good color as when first removed from the shell. It was finally determined to skin off the outer layer, an operation which was performed with so much success that the original brilliant black hue was fully restored, proving that the action of the sunlight had only changed the color of the surface. We may add that the pearl, although it was shown in the sun, may never have had a good “skin” or layer exposed; or the layer which was not perfect may have been affected by an exudation of the wearer produced by illness or medicine.

When pearls are of a poor yellow or dull brown tint, unscrupulous dealers sometimes intrust them to an operator who drills them almost entirely through, cracks the skin slightly and impregnates them with a solution of nitrate of silver; this affects the outer layers of the pearls, and, after its decomposition, the metallic silver is deposited, and they become absolutely black. The effect is sometimes hastened by exposing them to the fumes of nitrate of silver. These pearls are then rubbed up or slightly polished and may retain a good appearance for a number of years. The upper layers, however, which have been injured by the chemicals used in the coloring, often scale off, and the poor and unattractive color beneath appears. This is sometimes not detected until years after and when the dealer from whom they were purchased has been forgotten. The breaks or cracks which have been made can readily be detected by means of a pocket lens, if the observer is at all experienced. In many cases the outer layer of the pearl has been colored a good black, although scarcely any crack is visible.

Frequently, when a small knob or protuberance appears in the pearl, or when it has adhered to another pearl or to the shell itself, this protuberance is polished off, and the pearl is drilled at this point. This portion of the surface, however carefully polished, will never have the true orient, but it is placed in the necklace in such a way that it is completely hidden. Often pearls become scratched through rough usage, or by the knife used in opening the shells. These are occasionally polished by means of pearl-powder, or else the entire outer layer is removed, the new skin beneath appearing absolutely bright and perfect. It sometimes happens that a pearl will have a good luster, but a slightly roughened skin. This is at times polished down; but an experienced eye easily detects that it has been tampered with. Yellowish pearls are sometimes bleached by means of strong bleaching substances such as chlorine or other powerful reagents, which, although they may whiten the pearl, cause it to become very friable, as the animal substance becomes more brittle. Pearls treated in this way frequently wear off, layer by layer, until fully one half of the pearl is worn out of the setting. When pearls are stained yellowish from the exudations of the skin, grease, or other impurities, they can be cleaned by putting them in moist caustic magnesia and allowing it to dry on them. When this is removed, the pearls will often be found much purer in color than before.

In various parts of the world certain dubious methods have been used for restoring the beauty of pearls which have grown dim. In India they are rubbed in boiled rice. Some persons have even fed them to a chicken fastened in a coop; after the lapse of an hour or two the chicken is killed, and the pearls rescued from their temporary lodging-place, where they have been somewhat restored by the digestive juices of the fowl.

Some curious tests applied to pearls are given us in a Hindu treatise on gems by Buddhabhatta. For instance, we read: “If the purchaser conceives a doubt as to the genuineness of a pearl, let him place it during one night in a mixture of water and oil with salt, and heat it. Or let him wrap it in a dry cloth and rub it with grains of rice; if it do not become discolored, it should be regarded as genuine.”[416] It is needless to state that these tests would be either useless or injurious.

If the reader is the owner of a pearl or of a pearl necklace and feels that the pearls need treatment, any attempt to follow the directions given by many ancient writers would infallibly result in their injury or destruction.

Pearl drilling is a most delicate operation. It is necessary that the drill points should have the proper shape,—that is, should not be too tapering, but slightly blunt at the end, and turning somewhat in a V-shape,—it is also important that the drill should be revolved with perfect regularity, so as not to jar or jolt the pearl, as this is likely to lead to the cracking of the pearl or to the breaking of the drill. This latter happens not infrequently, and is due either to the structure of the pearl, the clogging of the drill, or to encountering a hard grain of sand inclosed in the pearl. Should the drill break in the pearl, it can best be removed by drilling from a point directly opposite, and slowly forcing the broken drill outward. This process requires great care in the regulation of the speed, and great exactness of direction in order to meet the broken drill accurately.

Pearl drilling was formerly a laborious process, and it was scarcely possible for a driller to perforate more than from forty to fifty pearls per day by means of the bow-drill operated by hand. Now, by the use of a modern machine, 1500 pearls of average size can be drilled without any difficulty in the same time.

Some of the most successful drilling of fine pearls is done by means of the bow- or fiddle-drill. The arm of this is made either of steel or of wood, with a strong cord stretched across it in the style of an archer’s bow. The drill is inserted in the end of a brass circular disk with a V-shaped groove on its edge, to admit of the string being passed entirely around it like a pulley, so that when the drill is placed on anything and held at the other side, and the bow is moved up and down, the wheel with the drill-end rotates rapidly.

If the pearl is not properly secured, if the drill point is too irregular, if it is not properly centered, or if it is too rapidly rotated at the start, one or more layers of the pearl are likely to be broken, giving an irregular, ragged appearance. If, again, the drill is rotated too rapidly as it is leaving the other side of the pearl, one or more layers are occasionally forced off, and this in turn will produce a break on the pearl. It happens not infrequently that pearls are broken away on the surfaces at both drill holes if the workman is careless.

As pearls have become more valuable, only the most efficient workmen are employed in drilling them. Whereas formerly a drill hole would be half a millimeter in diameter, at present it is much smaller, and such drilling requires the greatest skill in manipulation. The use of these very fine drill holes is due principally to the fact that pearls have become so valuable that the slightest loss, even the fraction of a grain, would amount to a considerable sum in a necklace of large pearls.

When a pearl has been perforated with a very fine drill hole, the hole may be enlarged somewhat by using a slender copper wire, the fineness of the drill hole itself, charged with either diamond-dust, emery, or sand. When the wire thus charged is drawn in and out, the drill hole can be enlarged to any desired size.

A large pearl is held in the hand or secured in a wooden block, or else it is held in a small pair of forceps with a rounded, cup-shaped receptacle at the end, which is usually lined with chamois leather and is pierced with a hole through the center. This hole serves as a guide for the drill, directing it while the pearl is being perforated. Adjustable cups or forceps with cup-like ends of every size are necessary, according to the size of the pearl; and in order that it may be properly seen, it is requisite that the pearl should always be larger than the cup in which it is placed.

The poorest part or spot is selected to form the beginning of the drill hole. The pearl is placed in a pair of calipers with a circular disk, one end of the caliper being placed on the spot to be pierced, the other end naturally touching exactly opposite, the pearl absolutely centering it. As these caliper ends have been rubbed with either rouge, lampblack, or some colored substance that will readily rub off, these two spots of color remain on the pearl and serve as a guide for the driller. The drill end is then placed on the pearl, and the bow moved up and down; and so rapid is this work that five pearls weighing fifteen grains each can be drilled with the greatest care in less than one hour’s time. Of small pearls, weighing about one grain, as many as fifty have been drilled in less than one hour by the hand-drill method.

Many of the thinnest and best drills are made out of thin steel needles. These are ground flat by means of a small carborundum wheel, so as to have two flat sides. They are then thin pointed, and with a V-shaped edge. These prevent the drill from clogging up, allowing the fine dust to pass upward and outward readily, and the hard steel almost invariably penetrates the central core of the pearl, no matter how hard or tough this may be. The needle-drill is then secured in a small chuck attached to the brass revolving wheel. Some recommend lubricating a drill with milk when it is employed for piercing a pearl, but a well-made drill, that allows the dust to escape as it is formed, does not require this treatment. The drill should always be made to revolve quite slowly so that no unnecessary heat may be generated by friction to injure the color of the pearl and also to avoid the possibility of the drill becoming clogged by the pearl-dust.

By means of centering calipers or markers, the driller, especially in the drilling of a large pearl, will generally drill first from one end, and then reverse the pearl and drill from the other end, meeting absolutely in the center. This prevents the breaking of the outer layer of the pearl. A skilful workman can, by turning the pearl, so operate the calipers that the true center can be obtained, even if the pearl is not absolutely round, and the drill holes so centered that the irregularity of the pearl is less apparent.

When the pearl has been half drilled through from one side, considerable caution is necessary in drilling from the other, that when the two drill holes are about meeting the drill be not revolved too rapidly, as the clogging is likely to crack the pearl or break the drill. If the pearl is only to be drilled one fourth or one half through, the depth can always be gaged by watching the drill-end, first, by measuring the drill-end itself, and, secondly, by noting to what part of it pearl-powder adheres.

Pearls are more easily manipulated than any other gems. They are also more easily damaged. Still, when properly treated by the workman, there is no material that offers him more satisfactory results than the pearl, if good judgment be used.

Drillers occasionally find that when the drill reaches the center of the pearl, there is a sharp click, the pearl often breaking at this point. This is evidently due to the fact that a harder kernel may exist in the center, such as a tiny grain of sand, which can turn the drill point; or else the resistance may cause the tiny drill to break.

When a pearl is cracked by a blow or by some accident, it is customary to drill it at the end of the largest crack; this method prevents the crack from extending in that direction. These fissures are sometimes partly filled by means of a solution, and may not be visible at the time when the pearl is bought, but they are liable to appear later.

To illustrate the difference in the care used in drilling, we have selected eight pearls from a paper of poor ones, and reproduce two views of them, one to show the irregularity of the pearls, and the other to show the varying size of the drill holes. Those on the left were drilled by an artist, while those on the right show the work of an inexperienced driller.

At present pendant pearls are never drilled entirely through, and rarely more than half way. But in the Orient, and even in Europe from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century, they were often entirely pierced; even pear-shaped pearls were entirely drilled through, with a metal edge projected below for safety. Frequently old pearls, and more especially oriental pearls, have been entirely drilled through, as are often large oriental rubies, diamonds, and sapphires. When these are set, the holes are either plugged with pearl shell and polished smooth, or a tiny ruby or diamond is set in a metal rim fitting entirely into the drill hole or only slightly projecting. This is well instanced in the portrait of Marguerite of France (1553–1615), in which the artist Delpech shows all the pear-shaped pearls worn by the French queen entirely pierced.

Frequently, where pearls have been drilled by oriental workmen, the drill holes are exceedingly large, five or six times the width of the silk string; in fact often from one to two millimeters in diameter. In the search to supply the great demand, many oriental pearls have been secured which formerly were strung to an oriental jewel by means of a thick wire; it is necessary to close this aperture, as the pearl would lie unevenly on the string. This is done by introducing a mother-of-pearl plug, through which a new drill hole is made. Unless the pearls are unstrung, this is rarely visible; but not infrequently the plug drops out. In other cases the pearl has been drilled not only from end to end, but also from the side, and this third hole is filled with a plug of mother-of-pearl and polished over so as to hide the blemish from the buyer. It is also no uncommon thing for a purchaser to find, after a year, that cracks begin to develop where none apparently existed at the time of his purchase, or they were so minute as to be considered of no consequence.

One of the earliest references to drilling pearls was made by Rugerus, a monk who lived in the eleventh century. He says:

Pearls are found in the sea-shell and shells of other waters; these
are perforated with a fine steeled instrument which is fixed in
wood, having a small wheel of lead, also another wood in which it
may be turned, to which a strap must be placed by which it may be
revolved. But should it be necessary that the aperture of any pearl
be made larger, a wire may be placed in the opening with a little
fine sand, one end of which may be held in the teeth, the other in
the left hand, and by the right the pearl is conducted upwards and
downwards, and in the meantime sand is applied, that the apertures
may become wider. Sea-shells are also cut into pieces and are filed
as pearls, sufficiently useful upon gold, and they are polished as
above.[417]

In “The Toy Cart,” a Hindu drama by Sudrake, who lived about the beginning of the Christian era, there is a description of a jeweler’s workshop attached to the house of a courtezan. He says: “Some set rubies in gold, some string gold beads on colored thread, some string pearls, some grind lapis lazuli, some cut shells and some grind and pierce coral.”[418]

The Chinese and Korean method of drilling pearls differs materially from that of the Occident. A pear-shaped pearl is frequently drilled horizontally and secured by wire or silk, and not drilled perpendicularly, as with us, to have a metal wire or peg fastened into it. If the orientals drill a pearl perpendicularly, the hole is generally carried entirely through it, and a gold knot, which is used as a bead, is placed at the lower end, and sometimes a tiny gem is set in this peg, or else the pearl is secured either by some projection below, or by means of a bit of enamel, or some other object may be attached to the gold or wire below it. Button pearls, especially those of the abalone, are drilled horizontally through the base and secured to the ornament, or to the silk or other material on which they are sewed, by means of a thread or wire; or else they may be drilled from below by means of two sloping holes forming a V, the thread or wire being passed upward until it strikes the angle, and then passed outward again through the other branch of the hole. Many fine, round, and pear-shaped pearls of oriental origin may be seen with this end closed either with a speck of pearl, a diamond, or a ruby.

A most interesting and careful description of the methods of drilling pearls was given by James Cordiner in his valuable volume, “A Description of Ceylon,” published in London in 1807, pages 64–66.

Scraping ends of silk threads for stringing pearl necklace
]

Stringing a pearl collar in sections; cleaning and reaming out a pearl
]

Sliding a pearl along the string in pearl stringing
]

Tying a knot between pearls in pearl stringing
]

PEARL STRINGING

The next operation which claims attention is the drilling of the
pearls. I neglected to inspect this part of the business; but have
been informed that much admiration is excited, both by the dexterity
of the artist, and the rude simplicity of the machinery which he
employs. A block of wood, of the form of an inverted cone, is raised
upon three feet about twelve inches from the ground. Small holes or
pits of various sizes are cut in the upper flat surface, for the
reception of the pearls. The driller sits on his haunches close to
this machine, which is called a vadeagrum. The pearls are driven
steady into their sockets by a piece of iron with flat sides, about
one inch and a half in length. A well tempered needle is fixed in a
reed five inches long, with an iron point at the other end, formed
to play in the socket of a cocoanut shell, which presses on the
forehead of the driller. A bow is formed of a piece of bamboo and a
string. The workman brings his right knee in a line with the
vadeagrum, and places on it a small cup, formed of part of a
cocoanut shell, which is filled with water to moderate the heat of
friction. He bends his head over the machine, and applying the point
of the needle to a pearl sunk in one of the pits, drills with great
facility, every now and then dexterously dipping the little finger
of his right hand in the water, and applying it to the needle,
without impeding the operation. In this manner he bores a pearl in
the space of two or three minutes; and in the course of a day
perforates three hundred small or six hundred large pearls. The
needle is frequently sharpened with oil on a stone slab, and
sometimes, before the operation is performed, is heated in the flame
of a lamp.

The large pearls are generally drilled first, in order to bring the
hand in to work with more ease on those of a smaller size; and
pearls less than a grain of mustard-seed are pierced with little
difficulty.

After the pearls have been drilled, they must be immediately washed
in salt and water, to prevent the stains which would otherwise be
occasioned by the perforating instrument.

A quaint description of pearl drilling was given by Anselmus de Boot in 1609.[419]

Since all are not aware of the manner in which pearls are
perforated, I wish here to give an account of the method. The
handle. A, is held with the left hand, and then the handle, B, of
the bow is pushed back and forth with the right hand, so that there
is a reciprocal movement of the lance AC. The extreme end, C, has a
needle, not so sharp as to come to a point, but slightly blunted.
The needle is placed on the pearl which is to be perforated. If the
pearls are too small to be held, they are fastened in the case, D,
with a small hammer of soft wood, lest they should slip. The board
is inclosed on every side by strips of wood so that the water which
comes from the pearls shall not flow off. The bow being moved, the
needle penetrates and pierces the pearl and it is not corroded by
the water.

A mythical story, but a pleasant one, is told of a great pearl collector who had owned a wonderful pear-shaped pearl for many years and had absolutely failed to find any match for it. After years of fruitless search he was at last rewarded by finding an absolutely perfect mate. He took this to his favorite jeweler in one of the great capitals of Europe, and ordered the new gem to be pierced to match the other so that both could be set. The jeweler called a small German boy from an adjoining workshop, simply saying, “Jakey, drill this pearl to match the other.” The collector was dumfounded that no caution should be given to the boy when so important a piece of work was intrusted to his care. Scarcely had the boy left the room when the collector inquired of the jeweler, almost in consternation, “How can you trust so valuable a pearl to so small a boy without a word of caution?” To this the dealer replied: “Jakey is the most careful pearl driller I have ever known. I know that there will be no failure in the drilling. I have never cautioned him about such work. He never has drilled a pearl wrong. Had I warned him of the value of the gem or told him how important a piece of work he was doing, he probably would have become nervous and, as a result, your pearl would have been cracked.” The conversation had scarcely been completed before Jakey returned with the pearl as beautifully drilled as the original one which it matched.

In the Orient and elsewhere, when it is considered desirable to mount a pearl so that it shall not turn, especially when only one part of the pearl is perfect and that is to remain outside, the drill hole is sometimes made square, that is to say, drilled round and then reamed out with a small saw until it becomes square, when a square wire is inserted; or else the pearl is first drilled with a tiny round hole and this is then reamed out until it is triangular, when a triangular wire is introduced. This method is sometimes used for studs or ring-settings.

In setting pearls with points or claws on the wire or band of a ring, the pearls are drilled only half way through. A gold pin is then inserted, and sometimes a thread is cut into the pearl itself; it is secured by means of gum mastic or some other strong gum. Occasionally, to add greater strength, a side pin is put in, so that the pearl is drilled with two bits of metal, which penetrate the one side in a perfectly straight line and the other at an angle of about twenty-five or thirty degrees (this is called side-pegging). This gives more strength and firmness to the pearl itself, and prevents it from twisting or twining and becoming loose. Sometimes the pearl hole is drilled so that the opening is that of a screw-thread, in order to hold it to the earring, the stud, or the ring. The gold pin which is inserted to attach the pearl to the ring or stud has a screw-thread also, and the peg or pin is screwed on as well as secured.

An ingenious method, termed “keying,” for securing the peg in pearls to be set on rings or studs, consists in drilling a hole half through the pearl and then two smaller holes or grooves on each side of the first. Cutting tools of a T-shape are now introduced into the aperture and worked about until the pearl is undercut all around, so that when a peg with a cross-piece is inserted, the latter can be turned within the pearl until it sets at right angles with the widest part of the aperture. In this way the peg is permanently secured and cannot slip out.

The fact that in recent years more pearls have appeared in necklaces that are irregularly bored, that the bore holes are so large that they are plugged with mother-of-pearl, or that one meets with pearls in which a plug has been placed in the side immediately in the center between the two drill holes, is due to the fact that the great demand has resulted in the destruction of many oriental ornaments in which the pearls were drilled in various ways, as well as in the destruction of the different Magyar and other semi-official jewels of eastern Europe.

The most primitive known drills were the flint drills, made by the North American Indians by chipping chert or flint-like minerals to a fine point. With these rude instruments a large, irregular hole was made, which generally measured several times the diameter of the fine drill hole made by a modern pearl driller with an improved drill. The Indians are also said to have used hot copper drills for boring holes.

The earliest, and still a very general and perhaps the best way of drilling pearls, is by means of the bow- or fiddle-drill. This method has been used in a more or less perfected form by all the aboriginal peoples of the New World from Iceland to Tierra del Fuego. But as none of these peoples were familiar with fine, hard steel, they scarcely ever succeeded in making drill holes as fine as those that can be produced by the use of tempered steel. By the latter means, pearls half an inch in diameter are often drilled entirely through with an aperture no larger than a thin bit of straw.

The largest and finest pearls are frequently drilled with the smallest holes, as the slightest loss in weight means a diminution in value. Then, too, a pearl with a small drill hole is not so liable to shift on the string, and thus is less likely to cut the silk thread which holds the pearls together.

It would be difficult to enumerate all the tricks to which some jewelers now resort in order to utilize every fragment of a pearl they can lay their hands on. Some of them are wonderfully clever at reconstruction, but to the woman who loves pearls, nothing can take the place of the soft, beautiful, round gem, with its natural surface.

In sorting pearls for the smaller necklaces, it is customary to open up a number of dozen bunches of the East Indian pearls as they are sent from the East, strung, the ends fastened together in bunches, and then sealed. These pearls are placed on a table and are first arranged according to color and luster on the sorting board. They are then grouped according to size and graduation, the greatest care being exercised in the selection for color, luster, and form. In this way ten necklaces may be re-strung into ten others, the necklaces probably being improved as regards selection, or else better arranged for the uses to which the jeweler wishes to put them.

In the case of the larger necklaces, it frequently requires many years of selection and arrangement before one becomes perfect enough to pass the criticism or suit the fancy of the jeweler.

We have no record as to when the first pearl necklace was strung, nor have we a definite record of the first use of silk for stringing a necklace. The earliest illustration that we have been able to obtain of the use of pearls in the form of a necklace is the one from Susa, in which the pearls were secured with gold. A Syrian necklace, dating about one or two centuries before Christ, was strung by means of a bronze wire. We will endeavor to give a few facts on the interesting process of preparing pearls for wearing.

Pearl stringing is an art, easy as the process may seem, and it is interesting to note the precision, care, and delicacy with which the pearl stringer performs his task. The first step is to grade the pearls according to their size and color, so that they may produce the best possible effect. The largest and finest pearl is placed in the center; alongside of this, on each side, are laid the two pearls next in size which are the most nearly alike in form and hue; and so on to the end of the necklace. This grouping requires both experience and judgment, and is of great importance, since the value of the pearls is often considerably enhanced by a proper arrangement. A skilful stringer is able to grade them so cleverly that only a trifling difference will be found in the weight of the two halves of a necklace.

The stringing process consists in securing the end pearl by a knot to the diamond, pearl, or other clasp which may be used. When a necklace is being strung, the thread is passed through the metal eye, or pearl, or other object that serves as a clasp. It is then tied with one knot, passed through the next pearl, and knotted between that and the second pearl, and sometimes between the second and the third, thus making the joint doubly secure. The other pearls are then strung in their order, a knot being placed after each fifth, fourth, third, or second pearl, or, should there not be enough to give a proper length to the necklace, between each single pearl. The deftness with which the knot is tied so as not to hold the pearl too tightly, and risk the breaking of the thread, and the precision with which forty, fifty, and even sometimes several hundred knots are made on a single string, is a pleasing operation to witness, and requires the greatest care and nicety of touch. If knots are made frequently between the pearls, there is less danger of losing them should the thread break, as only one or two can fall off; sometimes, indeed, when the drill holes are very small, the silk thread, waxed or unwaxed, fits so closely that the pearl does not become detached even when the thread breaks.