Freshwater Pearls

[fossis]

By far,the best finds I have made are my collection of
Freshwater Pearls, I started finding them when I used mussel's
for fish bait, & after about 12 years of looking in private lakes,
this is what I collected, I threw away a handfull of defective
ones, some looked like (absessed teeth).
The button industry used musselshells up until Celluloid &
Plastic came along, now American shells are shipped to Japan
to use in the manufacture of Cultured Pearls.
Pics of shell buttons included,(found in an old house).

Fossis..............

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[warsawdaddy]

Great collection,fossis.When I was a kid,mussels were everywhere,but the last several years,they seem to have all but disappeared.

[fossis]

Great collection,fossis.When I was a kid,mussels were everywhere,but the last several years,they seem to have all but disappeared.

Thanks Warsawdaddy, I only harvested the larger
ones, & left all the small ones, Racoons take thousands of
the tiny ones, that they can open with their teeth, & they
say polluted water is taking a toll, also Zebra mussels,
(foreign imports) root out the native species.
But in my area, they are still numerous.
Fossis..............

[COUNTRY GIRL]

We have muscles around here. Would you mind explaining the process of extracting those beautiful little stones? Do you put the pearls and or shells through a rock tumbler?

Nice collection Fossis!

[fossis]

We have muscles around here. Would you mind explaining the process of extracting those beautiful little stones? Do you put the pearls and or shells through a rock tumbler?

Nice collection Fossis!

Hey Country Girl, I use a pocket knife to cut the one
muscle, (they have two), then pry the shell apart with your
blade & fingers , & cut the other muscle on the opposite end,
The pearls can be located in several areas, some fall in
your hand, others you have to feel for.
They are naturally shiny, shells & all, a tumbler would
wear them down to nothing, (too soft).
I put clear spray on the shells to keep the wet look.
Fossis...........

[FISHEYE]

florida lakes and rivers are full of those mussels.are the pearls or live mussels worth anything to anyone?

[COUNTRY GIRL]

Thanks Fossis, I'll be looking once we get the boat in the water. I'll let you know if i find any. Thanks for the information. I can't wait to look!

[d2]

Fossis, about 15 years ago the mussell prices went thru the roof down here. Shell buyers were paying 5 bucks a pound for "washboards and 3 ridges" some folks made a killing. I have found 2 and lost 'em both. Like you I was useing them for trotline and "perch basket" bait ...d2

[fossis]

florida lakes and rivers are full of those mussels.are the pearls or live mussels worth anything to anyone?

Hey FISHEYE, The pearls are sellable to jewelers,
Though not as much as (cultured), & the shells are sold by
the ton to Japan, (certain types), they are used to make
small round seed beads to implant in their ocean clams to
grow cultured pearls, this system was a State secret for years
the Japanese wouldn't share it with anyone.
But gradually the secret was out, & now giant black pearls
& other colors are grown in the ocean, suspended from baskets
floating on pvc pipe. (black pearls are worth big bucks)
Several others in the U. S. raise pearls using this method.
Some types are not collectible, (endangered), check your
local regulations .
Fossis..................

[fossis]

Fossis, about 15 years ago the mussell prices went thru the roof down here. Shell buyers were paying 5 bucks a pound for "washboards and 3 ridges" some folks made a killing. I have found 2 and lost 'em both. Like you I was useing them for trotline and "perch basket" bait ...d2

Hey d2, I never sold any shells, but I got a friend of
mine started in it, & he did guite well for a while.

Fossis..............

[d2]

They call it "puddeling" down here and when the prices were high and you were in the right spot you could hold a big 3 ridge in each hand and be standing there with 10 bucks in your hands. I found out about it about 3 weeks to late. But I got my eye on some big beds and when the prices go back up I will be puddeling too..d2

[fossis]

They call it "puddeling" down here and when the prices were high and you were in the right spot you could hold a big 3 ridge in each hand and be standing there with 10 bucks in your hands. I found out about it about 3 weeks to late. But I got my eye on some big beds and when the prices go back up I will be puddeling too..d2

My friend had some of my shells tested, (they have to break
clean), all in my area the buyer's didn't want, but everything
in his area a few miles away they wanted, (go figure), he made
about $10,000 one summer, the story of my life.

Fossis..............

[CarolinaDigs]

Beautiful collection

[fossis]

Thanks Carolina,

Fossis..............

[Marty-Graw]

the lake i water hunt in has the mussel shells big as your hand......i actually have a problem scooping becauce of the smaller ones get a scoop full and have to get hand full out and scan it over the coil ....several times during a hunt i get a pretty good sized live one in my scoop...i have been pretty frustrated with them but if i can make some money off them it may be worth more than the very very little bit of gold i manage just need to figure out how lol

[fossis]

the lake i water hunt in has the mussel shells big as your hand......i actually have a problem scooping becauce of the smaller ones get a scoop full and have to get hand full out and scan it over the coil ....several times during a hunt i get a pretty good sized live one in my scoop...i have been pretty frustrated with them but if i can make some money off them it may be worth more than the very very little bit of gold i manage just need to figure out how lol

Just check in your area for buyers of Shells, they
will give you the current prices, & types they are buying.
A friend of mine made about $10,000 one summer, he
would average about $50.00 a five gallon bucketfull of
shells. (don't know what the market is now).

Fossis.............

[Okie Hillbillies]

gee Fossis those are some real pretty stones. Maybe we could all go pearl huntin
sometime.

Okie Hillbillies....................................... ..

[fossis]

gee Fossis those are some real pretty stones. Maybe we could all go pearl huntin
sometime.

Okie Hillbillies....................................... ..

Thanks, maybe we will.

Fossis..............