TENNESSEE RIVER FRESHWATER PEARLS

The pearls in our hand crafted jewelry designs
come from America's only freshwater pearl farm,
located on Kentucky Lake in western Tennessee.
These world class pearls are typically
cultured for 2-3 years. Each is a one-of-a-kind.
The freshwater pearl is the
official gem of the state of Tennessee.
Pearls are the birthstone for June and are
traditional jewelry for brides and bride's maids.
Natural pearls form when an irritant (like a grain of sand)
lodges under the mantle of a mollusk
(oysters in salt-water, mussels in freshwater).
To protect itself, the mollusk layers a secretion
(nacre) around the irritant.
Eventually, the layers of nacre form a pearl.
To culture pearls,
a shell bead is inserted under the mantle,
triggering the nacre to form.