American Freshwater Pearls

There are American Cultured pearls. Recently, the interest in culturing of pearls has grown worldwide. There are around 300 species of mussels, capable of producing pearls native to the US. Many natural gem quality pearls have been found in America, even before the creation of the US.

The US has a long standing shell fishing tradition. In the late 1800's a German immigrant started a mother of pearl button industry. To supply that industry, American shell fisherman collected mussels from the Mississippi River and its many tributaries.

Mother of pearl buttons became the standard and created a sizeable shell fishery. Natural Pearls, although, not the primary focus became a profitable sideline to the shell collector. Because of the industry affiliated with button manufacturing and the occasional find of a gem quality natural pearl American awareness of pearls grew.

A little known but large business has developed since the 1950's, when Japanese pearl farmers began to use beads, from the American mussel shells, for nucleating their cultured akoya pearls. This was a jumping off point for American freshwater cultured pearl production.

Not known for spherical pearls the freshwater pearl farms in the US. They produce different varieties and variations of mabe' or blister pearls. These begin when a technician glues a half round nucleus to the inside of the shell under the mantle tissue.

These blister pearls are different from the mabe' pearls grown elsewhere. After about 2 years, then the mussels are harvested and cleaned. The shell is cut around the blister, then polished and set in pendants, rings, brooches, and earrings.

Another method of pearl production in the US is the insertion of fancy nucleus. This way fancy shaped pearls are grown. These American freshwater pearls are white or gray, the white ones leaning to a rose tone and the gray ones to bluish. As in a lot of freshwater pearls, not just from the US, orient is a frequent feature. Orient is the highlights or overtones that looks like a rainbow.

By Patrick Cavanaugh