Freshwater pearls

Freshwater pearls are cultivated in a mussel that lives in freshwater rivers and ponds. They are famous for their diversity in color, shape and sizes. There production rate is far greater than other cultured pearls and they are less expensive than other cultured pearls.

Freshwater pearls are usually produced by Japan, United States and China. Freshwater pearls were first cultured in Lake Biwa, Japan using the Biwa pearly mussel (Hyriopsis schlegeli). China is largest commercial producer of freshwater pearls utilizing triangle shell mussel (Hyriopsis cumingii) and several species. It is once grafted up to 25 or 50 times each shell. Usually every pearl produces 24 to 32 pearls of different qualities.

While grafting strip of mantle tissue is cut into 3mm squares. Then trained technicians create small incision on upper valve and inserts square tissue piece. If small twist is given to tissue it creates large quantity of round pearls. Usually pearl dealers purchase when pearls are still in shell. Then these pearls are cleaned and sorted by shape and size, after that they are pretreated in warm and cold chemical solution and then bleaching is done. This process reduces strong coloration of pearls. After this bleaching process pearls are drilled and then using mixture of cornmeal and wax they are polished.

Freshwater pearls range from 2 to 10 mm; and they have wide color range like White, Brown, Champagne, Blue, Purple, Pink and Orange. Freshwater pearls has unlimited variety of shapes from round, drop, button, coin, nugget to baroque. Perfectly round freshwater pearl is very rare.

Freshwater pearls have different grading system than that of Sea water pearls as freshwater pearls are more colorful and has various shapes. Value of freshwater pearls is usually decided by factors like Luster and Nacre, Surface quality, Color, Shape and size.

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