2OO PEARLS AND PEARLING 



made by grinding mother of pearl to a powder and soak- 

 ing it in vinegar and mixing it with gum tragacanth. This 

 mixture is formed into balls and when partially dried 

 they are placed in a loaf of bread and baked in an oven, 

 after which they are coated with a fish scale solution 

 to give them a luster. 



Other poor imitations are balls made of plaster of 

 Paris, which are afterward soaked in oil. 



The most deceptive imitations are the Japanese cul- 

 ture pearls, the "hard," or enamel pearls and the best 

 fish-skin pearls. 



