Freshwater pearls are often somewhat less lustrous than their saltwater
counterparts. However, they appear in a wide variety of shapes and colors, and
they tend to be less expensive than saltwater pearls, making them quite popular.
Freshwater pearls are also quite durable, resisting chipping, wear, and
degeneration.
Freshwater pearls differ from other cultured pearls in that they are not
bead-nucleated. Freshwater mollusks are nucleated by creating a small incision
in the fleshy mantle tissue and inserting a piece of mantle tissue from another
oyster. This process may be completed 25 times on either side of the mantle,
producing up to 50 pearls at a time. The mollusks are then returned to their
freshwater environment where they are tended for 2-6 years. The resulting pearls
are of solid nacre, but without a bead nucleus to guide the growth process, the
pearls are rarely round.
In recent years the Chinese have been able to take the art of culturing
freshwater pearls to new levels. In the last decade the quality of pearls
produced have become so high that many pearls in the top percentage of a harvest
are nearly indistinguishable of their saltwater relatives. Gone are the
rice-shape seed pearls as they are now being replaced with round, lustrous
pearls of sizes as large as 16mm, mimicking large South Sea pearls. This has
created a renewed interest in freshwater pearls as an affordable alternative to
the higher priced saltwater.
The Japanese have a distinguished history of culturing freshwater pearls as
well. Lake Biwa was once world renowned for producing high-quality freshwater
pearls. However, in the mid 1970's pearl farming all but came to a halt due to
pollution in this lake that was once synonymous with freshwater pearls. Today
the Japanese are trying once again to farm freshwater pearls in Lake Kasumigaura,
utilizing a bead-nucleated hybrid mussel (yriopsis Schlegeli anadonata/plicata
hybrid mussels). The resulting pearls have been quite large and unique. But due
to the high prices of such pearls the market remains a niche for collectors.
For more of our Pearl Watches to purchase online please visit our
Pearl Watches page.
