Its best freshwater pearls fueled a ready market overseas ... Those pearl supplies continued into the 1800s, until overfishing in Central American waters and in North American streams depleted ...

Freshwater mussels are some of the planet's most fascinating and underappreciated animals. With their beautifully colorful shells, diversity of shapes and interesting adornments — including ridges, ...

One of the largest freshwater pearls found in Scottish ... Warsh writes in her book, "American Baroque: Pearls and the Nature of the Empire, 1492-1700." Indigenous inhabitants were forced by ...