Freshwater Pearls are Unique and Affordable
Freshwater pearls are the most common type of pearl produced today. Their unique shapes and wide variety of colors, combined with their attractive prices and charming character, have made them a favorite amongst jewelry designers, shoppers, and pearl connoisseurs alike. While they characteristically range in shape from very baroque to nearly round, the freshwater pearls we sell at Pearl Paradise are as round as they come, nearly indistinguishable from akoya in their shape. Our trademark Freshadama line of freshwater pearl jewelry is guaranteed to be the best in the world.
How they compare to other types of pearls...
Freshwater pearls are best known for their whimsical shapes and wide variety of sizes and colors. The character of a freshwater pearl is found in its distinctive surface texture and the warmth of its luster. The nacre of a high-quality freshwater pearl does not typically have the glossy, metallic finish found in akoya pearls, and they are evaluated on separate quality scales.
A single freshwater pearl mussel is capable of producing up to 50 pearls at a time, although current production limits each shell to 24-32 pearls.Wwhile they are certainly prolific, these pearls are rarely as fine as their saltwater counterparts produced by akoya oyster, which nurtures only 1 or 2 pearls at a time. Freshwater pearls are typically tissue-nucleated, meaning they are composed entirely of nacre because they have no bead core.
What colors, shapes, and sizes are available...
Because they offer a wider diversity of colors, shapes, and sizes than any other type of pearl, freshwater pearls are often used in fanciful designer jewelry. In addition to the traditional white body color, these pearls come in a rainbow of natural pastel colors such as lavender and pink, and every shade in between. Their varied shapes include potato-shaped and stick pearls, rice-shaped and button pearls, coin-shaped and drop pearls, off-round and round pearls.
While a perfectly round freshwater pearl is extremely rare, Pearl Paradise deals with the roundest, highest quality freshwater pearls available. Their sizes range from tiny seed pearls measuring 1 or 2 mm in diameter to 15 mm and larger.
Where they come from...
Freshwater pearls are produced by Hyriopsis cumingi (triangle shell) and Hyriopsis schlegeli (Biwa shell) commercially in China, and other bivalve mussels that live in lakes, riverbeds, and creek bottoms in Japan (Biwa pearls and Lake Kasumigaura pearls), as well the United States (Mississippi River Basin). Although several areas of the world are home to pearl-producing mussels, the global freshwater market is overwhelmingly dominated by Chinese pearl farms, which account for nearly all of the freshwater pearls sold today.
At freshwater pearl farms, each mussel is surgically implanted with 24 to 32 tiny pieces of mantle tissue, a process known as nucleation. Once they have been nucleated, the mussels protect their flesh from the irritants by secreting nacre (pronounced NAY-ker), the calcium-carbonate compound known more commonly as mother-of-pearl. This is the same beautiful, iridescent substance that lines the inside of mussel shells and coats the surface of pearls. Over the course of 2 to 7 years, the mussels deposit layer upon layer of nacre around the growing gems. By the time the pearls are harvested, each mussel has produced more than two dozen pearls densely clustered on the inside of its mantle tissue.
This mass-production can sometimes compromise the quality of the resulting pearls, and very high quality freshwater pearls are indeed quite rare. During the harvest, the millions of pearls are sorted carefully and matched for size, shape, color, and quality. When Pearl Paradise visits these farms after a harvest, we hand-select only the roundest, most lustrous freshwater pearls.
How rare and valuable they are...
While freshwater pearls as a variety are the most common type of pearl, very round and lustrous freshwater pearls are very difficult to find. Top-of-the-line freshwater pearls, such as the ones you'd find at high-end jewelry stores and reputable online stores such as PearlParadise.com, command a high retail value. They are dazzling in their rich, bright luster, and their unique charm will last you a lifetime.view our freshwater pearl collection
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