The Japanese Artificially Induced Pearl

Abstract

On May 4 a London evening paper announced that quantities of artificially produced Japanese pearls, of perfectly spherical shape, but containing in their centres beads of mother-of-pearl, had found their way into the London market and had deceived experienced pearl merchants in Hatton Garden, who had bought and resold them as naturally produced gems. Since that date many inaccurate, misleading, and contradictory announcements have appeared in the daily papers, leaving the public, both lay and scientific, in some confusion. The following statement of the position, so far o as it can be judged from the scientific point of view, may therefore be useful.