Most of the time, when we think about pearls being made (if we think about it at all), we think of saltwater pearls being formed in oysters somewhere off in the high seas. But pearls can form in other bivalve mollusks, that category of hinged, shelled invertebrates. Since the mid-1800s, freshwater pearls have been found in mussels in Tennessee rivers.
In the early 1900s, pearling was a significant industry in Tennessee, according to the Gemological Institute of America. Maybe that’s why the pearl is Tennessee’s official state gem. Today, the Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl Museum and Farm is the only freshwater pearl culturing farm in the country. Located about 85 miles west of downtown Nashville off I-40, the farm offers boat rentals, farm tours and cabin rentals on the shores of Kentucky Lake. Tours are by appointment: Call Bob at 731-584-7880.
In addition to selling pieces of jewelry (from necklaces to earrings to cufflinks), Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl also sells loose pearls that you can have made into jewelry. Find a Nashville jeweler to make something one-of-a-kind with said pearls and old pieces of jewelry that you don’t wear anymore. Donelson’s Glen & Effie specializes in reworking antique pieces to make new heirlooms to keep in the family, and I’ve asked Alizah Greenberg to make new, modern pieces for me from some of my grandmother’s old jewelry.
