Brooches

Pearl-Shell To

New Industry in Cooks

Prom Our Own Correspondent TWO small factories at Rarotonga are now engaged in the production of brooches, manufactured from local pearl-shell.

It is anticipated that these brooches, for which large orders have already been received from various parts of the Pacific, will have a tremendous run. New designs are continually being experimented with, but the original ‘Tiare Maori” (Tiare Tahiti) design is still the most favoured.

Anybody who has ever visited the Islands knows the Tiare Maori, the flower whose fragrance, they say, is haunting and un forgettable, and the shell of the pearl oyster lends itself particularly well to the shading of the white petals and darker coloured stem.

These brooches are the ideal gift for the folks back home, being at once artistic, delicate and durable.

It seems probable that a new industry has come to stay and that not only brooches but other articles, such as buttons and decorated woodwork, will soon be turned out in quantity.