What's a Concho River pearl?

[Slraep]

Can someone clarify?

http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2008/sep/08/concho-river-jewel/

Slraep

 

[KAC]

Did I read correct that the son feels for pearls on the bottom in the estuary? Something about that doesn't sound right to me?

 

[Valeria101]

The plot thickens... it's the Tampico Mussel! (according to Texas Parks and Wildlife authority: LINK)

... and the pearls look familiary white-to-purple round (if those are what they say - how to know?)

CLICK for slideshw of Concho River pearl jewelry

 

[KAC]

Maybe they feel around on the bottom for the mussel and then open them to find the pearl, could have been a mistake.

They do look familiar valeria but why would they limit themselves to around 6mm if that was the case?

The round ones are measured by millimeters and a 6mm round is large for this fresh water pearl.

 

[borah]

Even stranger, Dian Teague, the woman whose son finds the pearls with his feet says in the article, "These Concho pearls are the only naturally colored freshwater pearls in the world. These pearls are purple, lavender, pink and green. We knew there was a market for these pearls."

 

[Valeria101]

They do look familiar Valeria but why would they limit themselves to around 6mm if that was the case?

Would bet that this reflects availability... much like the other statement ('these are the ones and only...' etc.) does more obviously. After all, these are roughly digested news intended for other ears, not Pearl Guide

Also, I'm living with the impression that indeed 6mm used to be a threshold for 'large' natural round pearls once-upon a time, when these were the only players still and the difference between fresh-ies and salt-ies didn't mean so much. Perhaps the obsolete 'magic number' was just picked up for the occasion from some jewelry book... if even.

Just a hunch.

 

[CortezPearls]

The Famous "Conchos River Pearls"... just another native North American Pearly Mussel (found in Texas and also in parts of Mexico): the "Tampico Mussel" as Valeria aptly noted. I have some shells from Tamaulipas (Mexico, south of Texas) and the colors are indeed nice: mostly purple and pinkish.

The "estuary" part could be a plain mistake and they could just refer to a small meander or shallow lake-pond-like area. Never saw them growing near the ocean nor in brackish waters...

The "feeling for pearls" part could really mean "feeling for pearly mussels"...just badly written.

"These Concho pearls are the only naturally colored freshwater pearls in the world.": I guess they mean to say that with most pearls being processed you don't have much certainty about their color...but since theirs are natural pearls they have natural colors. Bad phrasing again.