Pearl Jettons.

Manufacture in Australia.

TWO and a half years ago a party of four experts in the manufacture of buttons from trochus and other vari eties of shell, came to Australia from Vienna to establish the industry in Syd ney. The result of their activities is a factory which has employed as many as 250 Australians, though, at present the staff numbers only forty.

The shell used comes from North Australian waters. Only the best grades are used and for this the factory pays £lBO per ton. The first stage in the manufacture is cutting the blanks, which is done by a tubular saw. They are then shaped on a turning machine, the holes are drilled and the finished buttons are given their lustre by revolving polishing drums. Grading is done by hand, first and second grades being selected.

Many other fancy, small articles are made from the shell as well as buttons, and include buckles, sleeve links, cigar ette holders, spoons, butter knives, and inlaid caskets. Colours are introduced by a special dyeing process.

The consumption of buttons in Aus tralia is very limited in comparison with the output of shell, which is estimated at 80 per cent, of the world’s supply and yields upwards of £250,000 per year.

Recently a demonstration of the vari ous stages in the evolution of a button was given at the Technological Museum in Sydney, when, by means of specimens and well selected photographs, every stage of the industry from the gather ing of the shell to the packing of the finished articles was shown.