Bethlehem pearl buttons

Just button magazine Sept. 1957

“From the Holy Land”

The following story may very easily describe the pearl buttons brought to this country, 1945-50 by Mr. Henry Golding

There are several in the Just Buttons Museum, a gift from Mr. Golding in 1950

“In the wide –eyed amazement we watched the skilled artisans drilling holes (with tools dating back to the eras of the Crusades) in the Mother of Pearl shells and beginning to scoop out the pattern (without even first sketching in the design!)

After literally hundreds of tiny strokes with a crude chisel, the design began to take shape and we held our breath at the last of a thousand or more scooping's. Only one slight miscalculation and the piece would be ruined.

     It was no surprise to us to learn that such highly skilled artisans are few in number. Every year young hopefuls apply at the atelier determined to achieve the exalted status of Master Artisan--a mush coveted craft distinction won only after three long years of grueling apprenticeship—resulting in the fabled wage of $3.00 a day!  But no more than two or three out of ten apprentices will make the grade. The unsuccessful aspirants are destined for the less demanding tasks of carving beads and sculpting undistinguished jewelry for the local market”

Mr. Golding sold these buttons by ads in the JB magazine from 1946 through 1952 then they were sold exclusivity by Sally Luscomb for several years then late other button dealers sold them

The buttons are still being sold today BUT the workmanship carving’s are not like the older ones
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Click on image to enlarge (buttons are much nicer than the image shows)