Fresh Water Pearl Jewelry

Freshwater pearls are some of the most popular pearls available today. Thanks in part to freshwater pearl available in bays and rivers throughout China, freshwater pearls are currently some of the most reasonable and popular pearls available on the market today.

Fresh water pearls occur in mussels in much the same way that saltwater pearls occur in oysters. A material foreign to the mussel, such as a sharp object or parasite, makes its way into the mussel. Cultured fresh water pearl workers manually open the mussel shell, making small incisions into the mussel tissue and insert foreign objects. These foreign objects produce an irritation. The mussel coats the foreign object to reduce the irritation. This coating that forms the freshwater pearl is the same material used for building shells.

The Japanese were some of the first to culture freshwater pearls. The first commercial fresh water pearl farms began in the 1930s, and continued to some extend through World War II.

In recent years China has become a respected major producer of fresh water pearls. Since 1968, China has perfected the process of harvesting cultured fresh water pearls resulting in pearls of superior shape and color.