Cultured Pearl - Authentic Freshwater Pearl from the Tennessee River

A Cultured Pearl From a Tennessee River Farm

This cultured pearl comes from a freshwater farm on the Tennessee River. It sits in an acrylic jar inside a glass-topped riker box.

Product Details

• Specimen: Freshwater pearl, cultured on a farm
• Origin: Freshwater pearl farm, Tennessee River
• Display: Acrylic jar in glass-topped riker box, 4.5 in x 3.5 in
• Includes: Information card that serves as the certificate of authenticity
• Note: Size, shape and luster vary, so each pearl is unique.

A Gem Made by a Mollusk

A pearl is an organic gem made inside a living mollusk. When an irritant enters the shell, the animal coats it in layers of aragonite and calcite.

That material is called pearl nacre. It builds layer after layer into a hard, shining sphere.

How Pearls Are Farmed

In cultivation, a round bead is inserted into the mollusk so a spherical pearl forms. Japan's Mikimoto Kokichi, called the Pearl King, perfected the method.

This Tennessee River pearl farm has been run for decades by one family. See more treasures in our Natural History Collection.

Display and Care

Keep the cultured pearl in its jar. Pearls are soft, so avoid chemicals and rough surfaces.

About American Pearls

Freshwater pearls like this one grow in mussels. A Tennessee River pearl farm raises them in river water. Each one is a modern take on an ancient treasure.

For More Reading from the Web

• Learn how pearl nacre forms and how pearls are cultured. Pearls and Other Organic Gems - UC Berkeley
• Read the supplier's page on this specimen. Pearl Specimen - Mini Museum