Really? Yes, there was a "great pearl rush" in Vermont. An observant friend, Kimet Hand, spotted an article in the Rutland Herald by Paul Heller about the pearls found in Vermont. 

With the pearl rush of 1864, farmers abandoned their fields, merchants shuttered their stores and the Winooski River teemed with neighbors and strangers as many sought to strike it rich in the waters near East Montpelier.

It's crazy to think that pearls have been found in Vermont, but if you remember, freshwater pearls are found in mussels and think of all the mussels in the eastern US that have provided food for many people. There were, actually a series of pearl rushes in the late 1800s until the very early 1900s, when many of the rivers had been depleted by over-harvesting. Sound familiar? Several of these natural pearls have found their way into significant pieces of jewelry. 
I will introduce you to more of current American pearls and pearling in a later email.