Freshwater Pearl Tennessee

[pearlescence]

Can anyone tell me if this is indeed a genuine pearl farm or a scam for selling chinese?
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attrac...r_Pearl_Farm_and_Museum-Camden_Tennessee.html
These apparently came from there some years ago

They look like early chinese to me

 

[GemGeek]

The photo looks like a postage stamp. ???

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Clicking the link it does look like an actual museum.

 

[jshepherd]

It's real. I've been there. It's a farm that used to belong to John Latendresse.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I didn't realize it was that farm!

Is his daughter (or someone else) still running it, Jeremy? Are they still producing the Dom? pearls, the bars etc?
http://www.americanpearlcompany.com/

I have 2 oval bars that I believe are from this farm. They look like the "Fancishapes" in the catalog. I bought them from a shop owner who had gotten them in Tucson:

The nacre is very thick and the orient is fabulous. I'm planning to remake these into a necklace.

Edited to add:
I made them into this necklace with tourmalines and a Tahitian pearl:

 

[pearlescence]

Thanks! You learn something every day. (which is always a good thing) Are there any special characteristics of these pearls? What type of mussel..any other info?

 

[GemGeek]

They look exactly like the American cultured freshwater cultured pearls from the Latendresse family - I have seen a lot of them and they have been used in the GIA pearl lab course, particularly to demonstrate orient. A few years ago Gina said that they had stockpiled a lot of them after they ceased operations, so it may be possible to get more. You should ask them about the dome' pearls.

Of course, they could also be Chinese...

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Thanks, GemGeek.

 

[GemGeek]

Those earrings are gorgeous, by the way!

 

[pattye]

Pearl Dreams, those are gorgeous pearls!

Wendy, Elizabeth Strack in PEARLS has most interesting chapters on the Latendresse pearling history. She indicates that of the over 100 mussel species that produce natural pearls in the US, for culturing, the washboard (Megalonaias gigantea) and ebony shell (Fusconaia antrosa) were primarily used. I swear by PEARLS!!

 

[pearlescence]

Blaire, so the farm is not operational now?
I haven't got any, someone showed me that picture and I said they looked like CFPs but apparently they were bought at the farm a few years ago.

 

[pattye]

Nothing like free long distance, so I just called and spoke with Bob Keast, who purchased the pearl farm when Mr. Latendresse passed in 2000. He assured me that they are still producing pearls, giving tours, and welcoming tourists.

Here is a link to an informational article I don't recall reading last year, but may have been shown here.

 

[pearlescence]

Pattye, you are again a total star. Thank you. I'll pass the link and therefore the info on to the owner of the pearls. remarkable. I thought it was a scam simply because I was sure it hadn't been mentioned here. Is that the only pearl farm in mainland USA?

 

[Marianne]

Great article, Pattye! Thanks for finding and sharing.

 

[pattye]

There was a second farm, owned by James Peach, a protege of Latendresse, which has now closed due to the economy. But he and his family continue to operate American Shell Company and its subsidiary, US Pearl Company. Mr. Peach is an avid collector of natural pearls, and has a wholesale website, which I have registered for (today), but not yet been approved. He had a booth at Tucson in 2008, which some of us visited. It appears he mostly sells cultured pearls, but some American Wing Pearls.

 

[pearlescence]

me too, although not being in the USA seems to have confused the website

 

[pattye]

Oh, well, it's uspearlcompany.net try this, perhaps it will work better.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Those earrings are gorgeous, by the way!

Pearl Dreams, those are gorgeous pearls!

Thank you, ladies! The little shop in Westport where I bought these had a small eclectic collection, not a typical bead shop at all. The owner only had the 2 of them, and she didn't know what they were. She asked $25 each for them.

For years I puzzled over them; they did not resemble any of the Chinese coin pearls I'd seen or handled. There is a luxuriousness to their feel, a smoothness, luster and body color that are unlike my other pearls.

The owner also had a Sea of Cortez mab? pendant with tourmaline beads that I was tempted to buy, but decided against (no regrets.) She closed up shop 3 or 4 years ago to move to Tucson, but I don't see her online there. The store was called Bead Wave.

I've already altered the earrings twice but don't seem to like wearing the pearls as dangles. I have an idea for a choker that I'm itching to make with them-- will post photos when it's done.

 

[pattye]

PD, From the information I've read, the American cultured pearls are untreated, unlike most of the Chinese cultured pearls.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

That's interesting to know, Pattye.