PEARLS AND IMITATION PEARLS 113 



added, and if a flesh tint is desired a very small 

 amount of eosin or safranine is added. While hot 

 this mixture is injected with a fine pipette into the 

 bead, which is being revolved on a toothpick spindle. 

 As the gelatin spreads over the inside of the bead, 

 it may be caused to set quickly by brushing a little 

 ether on the outside. The rapid evaporation of the 

 ether chills the gelatin and sets it. When the beads 

 are dry inside they are filled with wax. A mixture 

 of equal parts of Japan wax and paraffin is often 

 used to fill the beads. The cheaper grades of hollow 

 glass beads are blown in molds from tubing. The 

 finer grades are blown individually of a specially 

 prepared soft, colorless glass. 



"Indestructible pearls" are made in several dif- 

 ferent ways. By one process, solid "milk" or "opal" 

 glass beads are dipped in ordinary pearl essence con- 

 taining some gelatin and allow^ed to dry. A protecting 

 lacquer of pyroxylin or cellulose acetate in a suitable 

 solvent is then applied to make the coating w^ater- 

 proof. These coatings may be applied alternately 

 several times, and the finished pearl polished with 

 chamois skin and fine chalk. 



Another method consists of incorporating the lus- 

 trous material directly into amyl acetate, in which 

 the pyroxylin may be dissolved directly, making a 

 lacquer that is applied to the bead. When these 

 solvents are used, the lacquers may be tinted any 

 desired shade of color by the addition of minute 

 quantities of dyes. 



The beads for "indestructible pearls" are, as has 

 been stated, of solid opal or milk glass. They are 



