Amazing Pearls
From the start of the evening, Christine Etheridge, the pearl stringer to Royalty, held the members of the Ladies Fellowship spellbound with her expertise and story-telling.
Christine Etheridge
Christine told how her ambition was to be a watchmaker but this was not to be as, instead, she became a pearl stringer working for the Royal Jewellers, Garrards. She had no regrets about this as it meant that she was able to take the tools of her trade with her when she travelled abroad which would not have been the case if she had been a watchmaker/repairer bearing in mind all the machinery involved in that trade.
She told of her beginning at Garrards when her first job was to make ‘needles’ out of twisted wire. These are extremely fine and are used to thread the silk thread through the pearls before knotting. Whilst speaking of her experiences when visiting other pearl companies throughout the world, she deftly threaded and knotted and washed and scrubbed the pearls, all the while explaining the process.
Working with the Pearls
Christine bought a variety of pearls of different shapes and sizes which she displayed on the table. The members of the Ladies Fellowship had great problems identifying which of the strings of pearls she handed round were seawater or freshwater pearls, or simulated ones and were privileged to hold a black pearl (worth £400).
Christine explained how the pearls and jewels of the Royal family were looked after. The Queen’s pearls are restrung after each tour abroad and each pearl would be individually cleaned. Princess Diana regularly wore pearl necklaces even when wearing casual clothes and this had influenced the sales of pearls.
It was said that many of the pearls on display in the Tower of London were, in fact, filled with tissue paper as the insides had disintegrated over the years. Christine demonstrated how this was done by threading tissue paper through the centre of a pearl.
What’s it worth, then?
Some of the ladies present had brought pearl necklaces with them for rethreading and valuation which Christine had offered to do. A crystal necklace was rethreaded whilst she talked with members.
The Ladies (more members welcome)
Major Alma Brown drew the evening to a close with an appropriate epilogue when she talked about treasures and the reference in Matthew 13: vs 44 and 45 when men had sold all they had to buy a field containing treasure and a ‘fine pearl’. The field can be illustrative of our world and the love of God is our treasure.
Major Alma 
Claire Anderson
The next Ladies Fellowship meeting is on Monday, June 9th when Claire Anderson will be speaking on her work as sub-editor of The Salvationist. All who are able to come will be very welcome. Contact us if you need more information.
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