MS river pearls? Advice/opinions?

[battah]

Oh, I would love to be closer to you. It gets lonely down here. Too few pearl people. And I would gladly do these things for everyone, Hey, if anyone has patience for the post...

Hey, I have patience, knowing how lovely your work is! I'll bug you about it when I get it and see what we can figure out.

 

[battah]

It's here! And I really love it.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

It is lovely! I love how you placed it on the chains. So delicate.

 

[battah]

Thanks, LD! To be honest, it's the only way I could get it on anything (still waiting on my brooch converter/hanger to arrive). It didn't look that great just hanging from a chain, and since it's so delicate it kind of got lost on the pearl strands I tried it on. I'm brainstorming additional ways to wear it but so far this is all I could come up with.

 

[JerseyPearl]

very pretty pin! So delicate, yet so bold!

 

[MSC]

Lovely!!!

 

[Lady_Disdain]

How about pinning it on a black velvet choker, loosely tied so it just sits at the base of the throat?

 

[enbcfsobe]

lovely!! another idea would be a strand or two of tiny seed pearls...

 

[battah]

I love both of those ideas! I need to make both...

 

[Katbran]

That pin is so sweet !! I like the seed pearl idea !!!

 

[juliebeth]

black velvet ribbon AND seed pearls! just gorgeous, and i do love the styling with the chains!

 

[pattye]

What a graceful little pin; will be fun to see how you style it further, Battah.

Lmgarden, that bracelet clasp; amazing! So many pearl choices that will look complimentary.

 

[pearl-man]

This is a great reintroduction and a bit of MODEST boasting. The publication of the Wisconsin Pearl Rush article of the late 1800's in the Wisconsin History Magazine has led me down several interesting roads. First of all let me mention harvesting of any mussels in Upper Mississippi River System is regulated by the states of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. I vacation/fish the River when the ice is out.
Lately two collections made by folks during the 40's have come to the surface. Even-though most are slugs they are still natural. At times there were round pearls. One family clammed in the 30's & 40"s every Sunday after church and finally found some pearls. This collection, still in their original papers had a few round blueish pearls, superb luster and color. I have the poem the father wrote when his wife discovered her first pearl. I've pictures some where. Last year I appraised another collection which was gathered by a gentleman on weekends over most of his life. As I said this ended when the law was enacted recently.
On another matter the 94 year old author of the article and my mentor are going to visit the grandson of a pearl dealer of this era. His notes
are still intact and we have permission to view. They have not been viewed since he died decades ago. Dust and bugs???
The big commercial fair "Worlds Fair" type or remember the biggest industry fair to date happened in Chicago in 1893 cal!led "The Columbia Exposition" was a real big deal ! Popularization of electricity using alternating or direct current involved business and politics at the highest level. In this exposition Wisconsin had a building celebrating the new farm equipment manufactured here, (not in China ((editorial)) and other products among which was a pearl exhibit. It is reported there were 5000 pearls. Lost ! Nothing has been heard of them for decades.
Some said Tiffany bought them some said Higgenbottom ? Who was he ? I attended a talk last week on meteorites given by the Collection Manager of the Field Museum, James Holstein, and was introduced to him. Since the Exposition pearl collection was brought to his attention he searched the archives of the Museum and may have found information relating to this exhibit lying around in the Museum somewhere. Don't be critical. Some of the most recent archeological discoveries have been in the depths of museums. Our goal, in its earliest stages is to put together a traveling exhibit of information, pearl stories, river pearls and last but not least button making.
I wanted to reintroduce myself, I usually out calling on customers and don't have the patience to sit and type but my associate is out on vacation.
REGARDING THE PEARL REQUEST ..SORRY FOR THE DIATRIBE.. I have no doubt it is Miss River or American fresh water origin and I have lots of them. Age of the piece is irrelevant because of fakes or mis-markings. The pearls are what they are.
Norm

 

[battah]

What a great reintroduction, thanks so much for the info rundown, Norm! We'd love to see photos of the pearls you have! Do you have a website?

 

[CathyKeshi]

Fascinating notes, Norm ... and we'd all love to see and read more, especially on the history of pearls in the U.S. My own father told a tale of finding "clams" in Pennsylvania streams as a young child, along with his brothers. There were 4 brothers, and my dad would have been less than 5 years old at the time, making this 80 + years ago. He and his brothers were saving tiny pearls in a jar till they had enough to make a necklace for their mother, from these "clams". Sadly, she died before my father turned 6, and in the turmoil of a household of a father and 4 boys, the pearls disappeared long ago.

 

[Caitlin]

Hey Norm!!!
Always good to see you comment. I haven't seen you for a while, so it is good you showed up to remind us we have a real expert expert on American river pearls amongst us!

We have a photo of you with Elisabeth Strack examining river pearls at the Historical Society was it? You have copies of the article in a historical Society Journal? Anyway, please remind me - us - where some of that stuff is. Or maybe people can search your posts through your profile page?

Anyway, big air kiss! Mwaah!

 

[Caitlin]

Fascinating notes, Norm ... and we'd all love to see and read more, especially on the history of pearls in the U.S. My own father told a tale of finding "clams" in Pennsylvania streams as a young child, along with his brothers. There were 4 brothers, and my dad would have been less than 5 years old at the time, making this 80 + years ago. He and his brothers were saving tiny pearls in a jar till they had enough to make a necklace for their mother, from these "clams". Sadly, she died before my father turned 6, and in the turmoil of a household of a father and 4 boys, the pearls disappeared long ago.

Thanks for the story, Kathy. Too bad about the pearls, but the collection story is exactly what thousands and thousands of Americans did on Sunday picnics all through the 19th Century too. It has now about died out as a practice? I wonder........

 

[amti]

OMGosh, that pin is darling! I love how you wear it as a necklace! Those pearls are really adorable too! You scored on this pin!!!

LM, that's a heck of a nice bracelet! I wouldn't change out the pearls. There is beauty in it as is.

 

[amti]

Cathy, we need to set up a mission to trace your dad's steps as a child and find those lost pearls!

Good to see and hear your stories again, Norm!

 

[Orient]

Since natural US pearls seem to be the theme of this thread perhaps this will be of some interest to you all: http://www.gia.edu/gia-news-research/freshwater-pearling-tennessee

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