In *Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma*  by Camilla Townsend (New
York, NY : Hill and Wang, 2004) she notes that "Virginia had been seen as a
rich source of pearls from the beginning of the colonization project" (p.
152) and James Horn in *A Land as God made it : Jamestown and the birth of
America* (New York : Basic Books, c2005) says of Pocahontas that "Pearl
earings signified that she was from America and more particularly from
Virginia" (p. 228).

      Considering that Bermuda was importing pearl divers in 1616 and Thomas
Roe writes of secretly exporting high quality pearls from India in 1617 I
don't understand when or how Virginia received a special reputation as
source for pearls. I know there were many oysters in the Chesapeake, but
Pory seems to imply that there weren't pearls in them.

     Could some one please point me to a reference that connects Virginia
and pearls, or suggest the source of the above attribution? Many thanks.

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