Fresh Water Pearls

What is a fresh water pearl?

A pearl is a hard, rounded object with unique luster. Pearls are mainly used in jewelry and also crushed in cosmetics or paint formulations. They are valued and are cultivated or harvested. Freshwater pearls come from freshwater mussels. They are produced in Japan and the United States on a limited scale, but are now almost exclusively produced in China.

The crafting process begins by selecting a suitable mussel, cutting a strip of mantle tissue in 3mm squares which is then handed over to the technician who creates small incisions on the upper side of the valve and inserts the tissue piece. This procedure is performed once again on the other side of the valve.

Their harvests are purchased while still in bed and are delivered for cleaning and sorted by size and shape and then considered for treatment. They are bleached, drilled, followed by polishing and then matched into hanks and are then considered as "wholesale ready."

These pearls are seldom perfectly round and are noted for their wide range of colors. The most desirable are the pastel pinks, roses and purples, which depend on the genetics, water quality, and the location of the tissue graft inside the shell. However, because of technological advances, they are getting better and better. How do they do it? You can read more information about freshwater pearls here.