The Great Arkansas Pearl Rush

There have been many gold and gem rushes that have hit various parts of the United States throughout history, but did you know there was another rush on gems that took place in a spot you wouldn’t first expect.

The gems in question are pearls, and things got started when a shoemaker in New Jersey pulled a 93-grain pearl (one pearl grain is the equivalent to 0.25 carats) from a mussel in a freshwater brook in…