U.S. Pearls ( Part 1)

Native Americans of the Atlantic Coastal areas and the Mississippi River Basin were the first to collect and use U.S. freshwater mussel pearls and shells. Pearl pendants and ear pendants were worn by both sexes and both pearl and shell were used for decorative purposes on articles of clothing. Some of the tribes used pearls as tributes, reportedly Powhattan (Pocahontas' father) had large stores of pearls received as tribute. Additionally, armlets, pendants, and gaming pieces were made from mussel shell.

Natural freshwater pearls are seldom perfectly round or even nearly round, more often than not they are baroque, slugs, or wings. Many pearls, both natural and cultured, have beautiful color and luster. Freshwater pearls are noted for their wide range of color, they can be found in white, silvery white, pink, salmon, red, copper, bronze, brown, lavender, purple, green, blue, cream, and yellow. Although white is the most common color, the most desirable are the pastel pinks, roses, lavenders, and purples. The different colors are a function of the mussel species, genetics, water quality, and the position of the pearl in the shell. Generally, pearls assume the color of the shell in which they form. Problems can arise in putting together matched strands because of the wide range of pastel colors.

The shape of the nucleus and its position in the mussel determines the shape of the cultured pearl. The shapes recovered include rounds, pears, eggs, drops, buttons, domme, and baroques. In turn, the baroques include many recognized shapes such as, nuggets, dog tooths, wings, hammers, twins, barrels round-a-circle, and rosebuds. The baroques are becoming popular for use in the manufacture of rings, earrings, and pendants. Cultured pearls come in all of the same colors as natural pearls.

Freshwater shell and pearl mussels are from the family Unionidae, from which about 20 different species are commercially harvested. The common names of the most prolific species include the ebony, washboard, heel splitter, pimple back, elephant ear, maple leaf, three-ridge pig toe, pistol grip, and butterfly. Peak commercial fishing is from April through September, when hundreds of independent divers operate in the rivers, streams, and lakes of the Eastern, Southern, and Central United States.

The fishing and marketing of freshwater pearls and mussel shells by other than Native Americans has a long history in the United States, with the earliest recorded production probably coming from New Jersey. The formal freshwater mussel fishing industry has been established since the mid-1850’s.

A very profitable fishery supported a large shell button industry until World War II when plastic buttons displaced shell buttons. The fishery fell into disorganization and was dormant until the early 1950's. The mother of pearl industry and bead nucleus for the Japanese culture pearl industry have supported the fishery since the 1950's. During the 1990's, the value of U.S. mussel shell exports to Japan started at more than $50 million annually but has declined to about $35 million annually. Prior to 1992, freshwater pearls were primarily a byproduct of the shell industry. This changed with the coming of freshwater cultured pearl farms in Tennessee and California, and the increasing popularity of freshwater pearl jewelry with the U.S. consumers.

Article source: U.S.G. S.

Stay tuned next week for U.S. Pearls (part 2)