Artificial Pearls.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 16 October 1914, Page 2

Artificial Pearls.

Artificial pearls can be made at home with very little difficulty. Dr. R. IJesegang, a German, tells how this may be done. The process is an ingenious adaptation of that by which, salts are diffused through a gelatin film and knowledge of the fact that when certain salts diffuse into gelatin the film becomes iridescent. The only materials needed : are pure gelatin, dilute solutions ! of alkali phosphates and beads to ] serve as a foundation for the ! "pearls." The beads are dipped in- I to a warm solution of gelatin and j placed upon a glass plate which ! has previously been coated with j gelatin. Round each, bead is then I painted a ring of a 10 per cent. | sola Lion of phosphate, or in place I of this the glass plate may be coated with a mixture, of phosphate and gelatin. Gradually there is a diffusion of the phosphate into the gelatin and the desired iridescent effect is produced. Special pro- | cautions must be taken to prevent j the beads from drying too rap.idly. When the process is complete the pearls are hardened and rendered insoluble by exposure to the vapours of formaldehyde.