How freshwater pearls are produced

Natural iridescent glow of pearls allures everyone. Pearls are definitely one of the nature’s best gifts to mankind. From last thousand centuries, pearls are considered as symbol of wealth and prosperity and considered only for rich and famous. However not any more, with invention of technique to get pearls from freshwater mussels pearls are much more affordable.

Freshwater pearls are pearls produced by mussel living in freshwaters like river or pond. This technique was invented in Japan. Freshwater pearls were first produced in Lake biwa, Japan. After several attempts to culture pearls, they were successful to excellent quality freshwater pearls.

Just like saltwater pearls, freshwater pearls are also can be cultured or natural. Natural freshwater pearls have excellent quality and are extremely difficult to find. Just like saltwater pearls, a foreign object accidentally goes inside the mussel. It can be anything from grain of sand to tiny parasite. Because of this foreign particle, mussel begins to feel irritated. Such grain or parasite is therefore called as irritant. To reduce this irritation, mussel starts secreting the nacre around the irritant. If nacre is deposited in perfect concentric manner, pearl produced has perfect round shape.

To make cultured freshwater pearls, pearl divers or experts creates small opening in the mussel shell. Small mantel tissue is inserted through this small opening. This piece of mantel tissue will case irritation to mussel, which will lead to secretion of nacre. Pearl manufactures have to take care of many things like temperature of water, mussel health and many more. Single mussel can produce up to 45-50 pearls.

Just like other types of pearls, white is the most common color in freshwater pearls. Other colors and overtones like pastel pinks, roses, lavender and purple are most desirable colors these days. The different colors of these gorgeous gems depend on mussel species, genetics, water quality and most important, and position of pearl in the shell.

For more info click here, Freshwater pearls.