![\"gate\"](\"http:\/\/www2.pearlescence.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/1-gate.jpg\")
<\/a>ornamental gateway<\/p><\/div>\n
This factory takes pearls from many parts of China (incidentally never believe anyone who claims to buy ordinary freshwater pearls direct from a farm. farms do not process pearls.)<\/em><\/p>\n The pearls come in straight from the farm and are first rough sorted by shape and size, then cleaned up<\/p>\n When the pearls arrive they are roughly sorted by size and shape<\/p><\/div>\n Many of the pearls will then go to be bleached or dyed. This is done with the pearls in bottle\/flasks under UV light and in a controlled temperature, in a cabinet a bit like a stack of rabbit hutches.<\/p>\n Pearls sitting in bottles steeping in bleach solution<\/p><\/div>\n More pearls in bottles, a little further along the bleaching process<\/p><\/div>\n Buffing\/polishing is a standard treatment. Pearls are tumbled in either corn husk chips or walnut shell chips to buff their surface. This only smooths out the surface, rather like buffing your fingernails<\/p>\n One of the pearl polishing machines, filled with walnut chippings.<\/p><\/div>\n From here the pearls will go to be drilled. The factory had just had the latest in pearl drills installed. Oh I so want one.<\/p>\n The newest pearl drills. I want one<\/p><\/div>\n If you look closely you can see that the pearl is gripped centrally (operated by a foot pedal) in cups and then the two drills move together to drill the pearl from both sides simultaneously. This is how bulk professional pearl drills work. Two bits moving together. It also explains why sometimes there is a needle blocking burr inside a pearl. The two bits are slightly out of alignment.<\/p>\n With these new drills the drills are moved into to pearl by the lever in the left hand (at the top of the photo) and then the pearl is released from the cups and drops down the chute. Apparently these are so newly in that the operators are still occasionally drilling their fingers.<\/p>\n But what a superb bit of kit. I so want one!<\/p>\n After drilling the pearls move to the workbenches to be arranged and made into temporary strands<\/p>\n After being processed (eg bleached or dyed) and drilling the pearls are arranged and made into temporary strands<\/p><\/div>\n General view of the main workroom<\/p><\/div>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>