The Freshwater Pearl, taken from mussels in the fresh water rivers of Tennessee was designated in 1979 as the States gemstone. Then in 1986, Kentucky followed naming the River Pearl as its State gemstone also. Pearls are deposits of calcium carbonate (aragonite, calcite, or both) called nacre. Pearl (nacre) is not a mineral because it does not have a distinctive crystal structure and because it is formed by the action of a living organism. Pearls are one of the accepted 'organic' types of gemstones
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Native Americans of the Atlantic Coastal areas and the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio 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. These shellfish served as an important supplemental food resource, while the shells themselves were often modified into various tools, such as scrapers and "hoes," bowls and "spoons," and ornaments. Additionally, armlets, pendants, and gaming pieces were made from mussel shell.
Native Americans of the Atlantic Coastal areas and the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio 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. These shellfish served as an important supplemental food resource, while the shells themselves were often modified into various tools, such as scrapers and "hoes," bowls and "spoons," and ornaments. Additionally, armlets, pendants, and gaming pieces were made from mussel shell.
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Between 1882 and 1914, beautiful pearls were taken from many of the state's streams, from the Pigeon and Holston in the east to the Forked Deer and Obion in the west. The Caney Fork in Middle Tennessee was noted for its pearl-bearing mussels, and “pearling” was a favorite sport for young people on Sunday afternoons at the turn of the century. Tennessee river pearls are of all colors and they are “natural” as the mussel made them—all pearl, all the way through. They have been found in various shapes—spherical, pear-shaped, and baroque or irregular. After World War I, dams were built on many of the rivers, and the mussels lost their swift and shallow shoals to live in. Today, pearling exists as a byproduct of shell harvests which supply the cultivated pearl industry of Japan. Tennessee river pearls are among the most beautiful and durable in the world.
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NOTE: Several have advised me that charts on the Internet show Fortification Agate as the Kentucky State Gemstone. However the Kentucky General Assembly made the designation of the Freshwater Pearl official on July 15, 1986 (Kentucky Acts ch. 488, sec. 2). Fortification Agate is the State Rock.
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