Of course, these days, the cultured pearl, first patented by the
Japanese in 1907 and made world famous by Mikimoto beginning in 1908,
holds an enormous share of the pearl jewelry market:
http://www.emson-haig.co.uk/pages/emsonpearlsinfo.htm
The story of the cultured pearl industry is fascinating, but you asked
about good old-fashioned fake pearls.
According to "Gems and Gemology" (Winter, 1997) there are three basic
ways to manufacture faux (fake, imitation, man-made, etc.) pearls
today in Japan and other parts of the world:
1) using a plastic bead center formed by injection molding;
2) using a white alabaster glass bead center; and
3) using a central bead made from shell.
The shell method is the most convincing in appearance and heft, and is
also the most expensive. The plastic bead method is the most
economical, and the glass bead technique falls in between having
become more economical in recent years due to manufacturing equipment
improvements.
Here's a link for additional information on the above methods:
http://www.spc.org.nc/coastfish/News/POIB/12/14imitation.htm
Also used with those beads may be wax or fish scales:
Http://www.mikura.com/pages/pearl-1.htm
The techniques above are found on a Japanese-oriented site, but the
Europeans have also been seriously involved over a period of hundreds
of years in the search for the "perfect" faux pearl, especially in
France. According to the "Society of Bead Researchers Journal" many
recipes have been used, with the basic technique involving filling a
hollow glass bead with a pearl-like substance, often wax. That method
was first done in the 17th century.
Http://www.mindspring.com/~larinc/sbr/journal/journal.htm
I hope this information is sufficient for your needs. If not, please
ask for a clarification.
Most productive Google searches used were:
"imitation pearl" "manufacturing process"
"imitation pearl" technique
"imitation pearl" manufacture
Thanks for your question,
ericynot-ga |
