Nevada Freshwater Pearls

Fresh water pearls from Nevada come in a variety of colors and shapes. They can be found in a rainbow of colors including; white, cream, pink, lavender, purple, green, yellow, and blue. Pearls are used to make a wide assortment of jewelry and their luster is highly prized equally on a brooch or a pearl set. They have also been used to adorn clothes, as buttons, and have been used as decorations on all manners of objects and in art for thousands of years. Native Americans prized pearls, as an embellishment and for trading purposes.

Pearls are formed in mussels in rivers and lakes. Fresh water mussels attach to fish as larvae. Eventually they fall off and land on the bottom of lakes, in the bed of a creek or stream. A pearl occurs when a grain of sand becomes wedged into the mantle of a mussel. As a reaction to the irritating presence of the sand, a secretion of nacre begins to build up around the grain. Over time the result is a pearl.

When judging the quality of a pearl necklace, there are five general points of consideration. The value of the pearls is based on the surface quality; it?s color, size thickness of the nacre, shape, and luster. Ideally the surface of the pearl should be flawless; there should be no blemishes, cracks or bubbles. White or cream colored pearls are the most common, and colored pearls are sought after more frequently. Pearls are often dyed to attain desirable color. The rule of thumb for size is that the larger they are the more expensive they are. When constructing a piece, considerable effort is made to match shape and size. There is a relation often to the thickness of the nacre and the luster of the pearl.