Michigan Mussel: Pearl Teardrop Earrings

Inside these charming earrings is a collection of crushed Lake Michigan mussels.

 *Hypoallergenic gold filled ear wires

Broken shell pieces wash ashore with an off white and well sanded matte like surface that holds a brilliant shine when flooded with light. They are a rare find, and hardly recognizable from the long lived bivalve mollusk that could have inhabited the clam-like case for up to 100 years.

Most native Michigan mussels are endangered or extinct, an effect of pollution, invasive species and years of extensive mining. Midwest button factories mined the lakes and rivers for these beautiful iridescent shells until the 1940's when the popularity of the plastic button phased out the industry.

A delicate charm of Leland blue stones hangs below the pearl.