Demand for U.S. freshwater pearls is a function of quality.
Quality is determined by the size, color, shape, degree of translucency, texture,
ability to match and blend, and luster. Usually, the quality of U.S. freshwater pearls
is as good or better than any other pearl. The possible exceptions are the availability
of round pearls and the ability to match colors. Yet, it is thought by some that these
exceptions are not detrimental, but that the variety of shapes and colors available are
advantageous and are positive selling points.
Freshwater Pearl farming is time consuming, risky and expensive.
Before the location of Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl Farm was selected over 300 bodies of were tested for ideal conditions before the final selection of the initial eight pilot locations to begin attempts at culturing.
Mussels are gathered by divers from the murky river bottom and sold to the pearl farm operation. They are then placed in an environment to stabilize their equilibrium. Those that survive are taken to a controlled environment, for implantation. Technicians implant an irritant or nuclei into the mantle of tissue of the mussel. Nuclei can be any shape or size to pre-determine the shape of the end pearl product.
Mussels will only live about three to eight hours out of the water, so the implantation process must move rapidly. Technicians can implant as many as ten nuclei in each mussel depending on the size and age of the mussel.
The mussels are placed into baskets in groups. They are then suspended 18 inches below the top of the water dangling from American-made "bamboo" also know as PVC pipe. The mussels are left for 18 months to three years depending on the quality that is desired.
Many farms have turned to harvesting the shells used to create the pearl nuclei.
The process of making pearl nuclei is to cut small cubes of shell, tumble and pressure-grind
them into small balls, and insert them into salt-water oysters. Within a year the
oysters had secreted a thin layer of nacre around the mussel shell to create a cultured pearl.
There is some U.S. production of saltwater pearls. Abalone from along the Pacific Coast, primarily California, produce both blister and free pearls and their shells are used for inlay in jewelry and other items. The pearls are green, blue-green, yellow, or pink in color and may have high luster, but the texture is always coarser than that of other pearls. Some of the pearls are very large, as large as 60 carats each.
To date, all of the abalone pearls have been natural, but a move is underway to culture pearls in the farms where abalone are raised for their meat. Many of the abalone farmers are afraid of losing animals because of the culturing and have not entered the program. Possibly, in the near future an abalone cultured pearl industry may become a reality.
It also appears that attempts are underway to start a saltwater cultured pearl industry in Hawaii. The Hawaiian industry would be based upon saltwater oysters. Only time will tell of the success or failure of the abalone and Hawaiian cultured pearl programs.
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