220 MOTHER OF PEARL AND ITS USES. 



The places from whence we import them are no guide as to the sources 

 of supply — for instance, large quantities reach us from Holland, the United 

 States, Cuba, Australia, and Chile, which are chiefly brought there for 

 transhipment. There are about six commercial varieties of these, usually 

 designated as the white edge, brought from China and Singapore, worth 

 now £140 to £150 a ton ; the yellow edge, from Manila, £110 to £120 ; 

 from Bombay, £28 to £56 ; pure white, from Egypt, £18 to £36 ; and 

 from South America, £18 to £21 per ton 5 and the black shell, from the 

 South Sea Islands, worth £50 to £70 per ton. These shells are again sub- 

 divided into size and quality, and it may not be inappropriate to mention 

 the average weight of the different shells. Thus, the smallest are the 

 South American, weighing about half a pound per shell — that is, one valve, 

 for they never come in in pairs. The Bombay and Egyptian weigh about 

 three-quarters of a pound ; the South Sea black shells, one pound; while 

 the largest are the Singapore and Manfla shells, weighing on an average 

 lj lb. The prices for these shells bave much advanced of late years 

 — thus resembling ivory ; masmuch as the imports have at the same time 

 so largely increased, but not in proportion to the extent of the consumption. 

 The advance has been from 40 to 50 per cent, all round, and in some cases 

 more. Thus, the black or South Sea shell, which was formerly little 

 valued, since the change of fashion which has brought the large dark pearl 

 buttons into use for ladies paletots, for gentlemen's waistcoats, shooting 

 coats, &c, have risen 100 per cent., being double the price they were five 

 or six years ago. Tbese buttons are called smoked pearl by some dealers, 

 but from the same shells white buttons are also made, when the part nearest 

 the " knot " is used. The extreme edge or skirt serves to form the black or 

 dark buttons. Even the small true pearl oyster shell from the fisheries of 

 Ceylon, which were deemed worthless, have now come into use for the 

 nacreous substance which they furnish, for, although thin, it serves for 

 inlaying and other purposes. The oidy nacreous shells possessing sufficient 

 thickness for Sheffield purposes, are those received from Manila and Sin- 

 gapore. The smaller shells from Bombay, Panama, and other places are 

 used chiefly in Birmingham, and are there worked into buttons and 

 counters, and paper knives, or else used for inlaying purposes in papier- 

 mache work, ladies' portmonnaies, card cases and working implements, 

 book covers, and such like. Small fancy devices for inlaying are punched 

 out of the shell. Button blanks are drilled out of the shell. One firm 

 alone, at Birmingham, makes nearly half a million gross of pearl buttons 

 annually. Mother of pearl shells were formerly more extensively used 

 than at present in the manufacture of " scales," as they are termed, for the 

 handles of penknives, dessert and fancy knives and forks. These scales 

 are the two flat pieces riveted to a central plate of the haft or handle, as in 

 penknives. There is now a great dearth of material for knife and fork 

 handles, and any new substance adapted to the purpose, and coming in 

 to the aid of bone and ivory, would be hailed as a great boon by the cutlery 

 trade. 



